Pro boxer Manny Pacquiao and golfer Jennifer Rosales are the biggest celebrities who provided the most significant stories in Philippine sports in 2004.
The 26-year-old Pacquiao kept his lofty status as the people?s featherweight champion after holging WBA and IBF 126 pounds titlist Juan Manuel Marquez to a highly-disputed split draw during their 12-round title bout last May 8, 2004 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Filipino ring idol knocked out Marquez thrice in the opening round in a blazing start, but failed to finish off his tough Mexican foe, who was fortunate enough to get away with the unfavorable decision.
The pride and joy of General Santos City later clashed with Fahsan 3K Battery in a non-title bout at The Fort. He scored an easy fourth-round knockout over the hapless Thai visitor in the bout attended by a crowd of 25,000, the biggest in recent years.
Pacquiao capped what has been a shining year for him by signing a multi-million dollar contract with American promoter Murad Muhammad for a fight against Mexican greats Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera this year.
On the other hand, Rosales, also 26, won the hearts of the Filipino golfers and entire sports community as well with her breakthrough win in the tough LPGA Tour when she ruled the $1.6 million Chick-Fil-A Championship leg in Stockbridge, Georgia.
In that tournament, Rosales bested the likes of world No.1 Annika Sorenstam, Becky Morgan, Meg Mallon, Rachel Teske, Grace Park and a host of other fine lady golfers in the Tour.
On the other hand, Professional boxing, dancesport and basketball continued to be Cebu City?s top story makers as Cebuano jocks flashed their impressive skills in local, national and international arena.
Stories telling the exploits of three Cebuano world boxing champions made it to the headlines even as Team Cebu City-Dancesport stole the limelight away for sweeping the championship titles in all three major national competitions in Manila.
As expected, basketball remained the top headliner for 2004 with Cebu teams winning regional and national crowns. The University of the Visayas Green Lancers and M. Lhuillier Jewelers are among Cebu?s top caliber cage teams, which carried the fort for the Queen City of the South. PRO BOXING
Cebu was gifted with the championships in World Boxing Foundation (WBF) super lightweight champ Dindo Casta?ares, World Boxing Organization (WBO) Asia Pacific bantamweight champion Rey Bautista, World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan-African light flyweight champ Bert Batawang, WBA Fedecentro minimumweight champ Ioka Gejon (which was later given up), and Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) welterweight champion Rev Santillan.
Randy Suico (super featherweight) and Rodel Mayol (minimumweight) defended their OPBF respective belts and maintained their high rankings in the world ratings. On a smaller scale, Elmer Gejon won the Philippine minimumweight championship.
Gerry Pe?alosa, 32, and Casta?ares, 23, are the other Filipino ?world? champions. The newly-reorganized World Boxing Foundation (WBF), now based in Australia, recognizes Pe?alosa as the superflyweight champion and Casta?ares, the superlightweight titlist.
Pe?alosa won the vacant WBF 115-pound crown by stopping Bangsaen Sithpraprom of Thailand in the seventh round at the Casino Filipino Amphitheater last November.
Casta?ares knocked out Guillermo (Pantera) Mosquera of Panama to capture the vacant WBF 140-pound title in Auckland.
In the amateur arena, the boxing teams of Cebu City and Mandaue City are still the forces to reckon with in the Visayas Inter-City Developmental Age Group Amateur Boxing Championships.
The 17th edition of the Visayas Inter-City saw host Mandaue City taking the championship title with Cebu City taking the first runner-up honors.
Team Cebu City rebounded and ruled the 18th edition, which was held in style at the Elizabeth Mall. Mandaue City wound up first runner-up.
Thanks to the efforts of the sportsman Antonio L. Aldeguer and his champion makers at his sprawling ALA Boxing Gym lead by Peter Cuizon and Edito Villamor.
After the championships came a bleak moment for amateur boxing, especially for Team Cebu City when Aldeguer relinquished his post as director for amateur boxing.
BASKETBALL
Cebu proved once again that we are the hotbed of hoops outside Manila by winning two regional championships.
Tribu Sugbu won the maiden edition of the National Basketball Conference (NBC) with a 2-1 championship series win over Taguig.
The team proved that making the big step to regional basketball from the Cebu Basketball Federation (CBF) wouldn?t be any problem at all.
M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala – Cebu City gave Cebu its second regional championship when it won the inaugural season of the United Regional Basketball League (URBL), scoring a 3-1 series win over the Ilocos Sur Snipers.
General Milling Corporation scored a rare grandslam in the Cebu Basketball Federation (CBF), winning all three conference championships of 2004.
The University of the Visayas (UV) went to score their 46th straight win in CESAFI history en route to winning their fourth straight CESAFI championship.
The UV Baby Lancers also won the high school championship of the CESAFI, thus making the tournament an all-UV affair.
The University of San Carlos South Grade School made Cebu proud by winning the national championships of SBP division of the MILO BEST tournament.
GRANDSLAM FOR DANCESPORT
One of the biggest achievers for Cebu sports is Team Cebu City-dancesport, having dominated all three major national competitions organized by the Dancesport Council of the Philippines (DCP).
Steered by Edward and Eleanor Hayco with the coaching of Loiloi Rendon, Team Cebu City-dancesport made waves in the 1st National Quarterly Ranking and Competition at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City on March 21.
The Cebuanos grabbed 11 gold, nine silver and eight bronze medals to claim the overall championship.
They extended their dominance in the National Mid-Year Ranking Competition last June also at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City, clinching 12 gold, 10 silver and 11 bronze medals for back-to-back titles.
They wrapped their astounding feat in the national level by scoring a grandslam in the National Dancesport Championship last November 15, running away with 17 of the 23 gold medals at stake in the event organized by the Dancesport Council of the Philippines.
A day before the national finals, two Cebu couples had their grand time on the floor during the National Try-Out for the country?s representative in the dancesport event of the Southeast Asian Games, which the country will be hosting in December 2005.
Couple Michael Mendoza and Belinda Adora grabbed the gold medal to earn the right to represent the country in the latin event with another Cebu pair Dearlie Gerodias and Erolle Melencio.
The dancesport representatives will have their hands full especially that the event will be held here in Cebu City.
SCHOOL SPORTS
The University of Cebu Webmasters, particularly their well-oiled athletics team, continued to smoke various competitions like the Milo Little Olympics and Cebu City Olympics in the Basic Education and the PRISAA Regional Meet in the tertiary level.
The Webmasters helped Tejero District to win the championship titles in the Milo and Cebu City Olympics secondary division.
In the tertiary level, UC lorded it over in the Cebu School?s Athletic Foundation, Inc., (Cesafi) and then in the regional Private School?s Athletic Association (PRISAA) where they composed the bulk of the delegation.
On the other hand, the combined forces of Mabolo and Talamban Districts also scored double in the elementary division, ruling both the Milo and Cebu City Olympics.
Recently, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osme?a ordered Cebu City to pull out its participation in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA), which the Department of Education is planning to hold in Ronda next year.
Osme?a?s decision stemmed from the poor showing of Cebu City in the National Achievement Test (NAT).
The winners of the Cebu City Olympics were supposed to represent Cebu City in the CVIRAA meet.
MARATHON
Long distance race is very much alive here in Cebu with one race held every month with both the Cebu City Government and the private sector pulling its resources to host the events.
The Cebu Tri-City Run, the Don Sergio Osme?a Sr. Memorial Run, the Milo Regional Elimination and the Queen City Run are among the biggest races here.
Cebu City Sports Center manager Ricky Ballesteros was able to attract more than 18,000 runners to make the Cebu Milo elimination as the biggest race with regard to participation, in the history of Milo.
In the winners row, Christy Sevilleno of UC is still the undisputed Queen of the Road in Cebu?s long distance running scene.
Sevilleno continued to reign supreme in the women?s division of major local races, the biggest of which is the Milo Marathon Central Visayas eliminations.
She represented Cebu in the Milo 42-kilometer race in Manila and improved to second place overall in the women?s division from her third place finish last year.
And days after, she placed third in the third Queen City International Run at the SRP, placing behind Asia?s Queen of the Road Mercidita Manipol and national record holder Cristabel Martes, both of the national team.
On the other hand, Cebu is still looking for the heir to the throne of Cebu?s marathon king Roy Vence of Bogo, who is already in Manila ruling major long distance races.
The names of Joseph Penales, Joseph Codino of the University of San Jose-Recoletos and Mendel Lopez of University of Southern Philippines Foundation are hogging the limelight but they are yet to score big over members of the national team.
BADMINTON
Badminton is undoubtedly the fastest growing sport not only in Cebu also in the whole Philippine archipelago today. From just a handful of hardcore players playing in secluded and hard-to-find venues, the sport has now reached thousands overnight.
It was unusual to find badminton equipment in sports shops before, but today is a different story with all the variety of shoes, rackets and shuttlecocks available at all department stores and sports boutiques.
A quick look today will see the sport growing a hundred folds with so many people getting into it that it?s turning out to be the ?in thing? for the working class professionals.
Cebu now has at least five multi-court complexes scattered around the metropolis and a host of tournaments being held monthly.
FOOTBALL
Football is growing in Cebu City as more teams joined developmental age-group competitions, thanks to the Cebu Football Association (CebuFA).
From a field of two teams in 2001, the Under-7 age group of the Aboitiz Football this year has attracted 13 squads. The Aboitiz football also organized the largest tournament in Cebu this year with over 640 players coming from 58 teams competing in the 6-17 year old age groups.
In the CESAFI, Don Bosco Technology Center bagged the high-school football crown with a 9-0 win over the University of Southern Philippines, while the University of San Jose Recoletos captured a rare-four peat in the collegiate level by defeating University of the Visayas
Aboitiz also organized the first CebuFA Universities League with five teams competing to give university football teams more exposure.
TENNIS
A young and diminutive Sally Mae Siso of the University of San Carlos Grade School and fast rising Jin Querubin of the University of San Jose-Recoletos are Cebu?s top achievers in lawn tennis.
Siso, RP no. 1 in the 10-under division, defied all odds to win three titles in the Malaysian International Juniors Tennis Circuit.
After placing first runner-up in the first leg in Penang City, the 10-year old Cebuana scored a double in the second leg in Perlis City, taking the crowns in the singles and doubles. She repeated her feat in the third and last leg in Langkawi City with the singles crown.
Querubin, on the other hand, was the best performing member of Team Cebu City in the 2004 International Children?s Games in Cleveland City, Ohio, as she breezed through the quarterfinals.
In the international scene, 2004 belonged to the Russians, who won three of the four Grand Slams at stake. First, Anastasia Myskina became the first Russian woman to win a singles Grand Slam championship at Roland Garros. Maria Sharapova followed suit, taking Wimbledon. And at the US Open, Svetlana Kuznetsova added a third major to continue the Russian revolution. The Russians will finish the year with four in the Top 10 and seven in the Top 15.
This year, the No.1 rankings changed hands three times with the chase heating up at the end of the year. Henin-Hardenne held on to the top spot for most of the year, but on September 13, Amelie Mauresmo took over, becoming the first French man or woman to be No.1 in tennis. Mauresmo would keep the No.1 ranking for five weeks, but aided by a hot summer streak that would continue into the fall, Lindsay Davenport returned to the No.1 ranking for the first time since 2001. She will finish the year as the world No.1.
Wimbledon champion Sharapova may be the standout of the teen brigade that turned heads this year, but she is only one of many young teenagers poised to make her mark in professional tennis. The other being Tatiana Golovin. Nicole Vaidisova. Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic These teens leapt up the rankings this year, and Vaidisova and Jankovic claimed their first Tour singles titles already.
In the men?s side, Roger Federer had a stellar season that included winning the INDESIT ATP 2004 Race, three Grand Slam titles, the Tennis Masters Cup and three ATP Masters Series crowns.
The feat has won for him the ATP European Player of The Year Award for 2004 as voted by the European ATP tournament directors for the second consecutive year.
Federer?s 11-title haul in 2004 – the most since Thomas Muster won 12 in 1995 – included ATP Masters Series Hamburg, Halle, Wimbledon and Gstaad on European soil.
Federer has collected several awards after his banner season. Recently he was named BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year, Switzerland?s Athlete of the Year and Swiss of the Year as voted by viewers of Switzerland?s equivalent of the Oscars.
GOLF
The focal point in the PGA was the remarkable season of Player of the Year Vijay Singh, whose rise from the ranks as an assistant club professional on the South Pacific island of Fiji to becoming the world?s No. 1-ranked golfer is incredible in its own right.
Known for his unrelenting dedication on the practice range, the reliable Singh produced one of the greatest seasons in TOUR history, winning nine times, collecting more than $10 million in prize money and supplanting Tiger Woods as the sport?s No. 1-ranked player, a feat some might consider the most impressive of all.
In the LPGA, Annika Sorenstam walked away with an impressive 10 victories worldwide in 2004.
Sorenstam began 2004 with wins at the Ladies European Tour?s ANZ Ladies Masters in late February and the LPGA?s Safeway International in March.
She captured eight victories on the LPGA Tour, including the McDonald?s LPGA Championship, and finished no worse than 13th in her 10 other starts. She captured her fourth consecutive money title with $2,544,707, the second highest single-season total in her career, and earned her seventh Player of the Year award, tying Kathy Whitworth for the all-time mark. Sorenstam also won twice on the LET.
FORMULA ONE
German ace Michael Schumacher is recognized as being at present the world?s best racing driver. Many people say he is the best ever, but he himself denies any comparison to Fangio of the 50s – the only other driver to achieve five F1 championships.
In 1995 Michael became the youngest double Formula 1 World Champion (1994 and 1995 seasons) ever. Michael is also the 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and current (year 2004) World Champion. This phenomenal record speaks for itself.
Last year (2003) he beat Juan Manuel Fangio?s five championships, by taking his sixth!
The 2004 season isn?t even over yet and Michael has already taken the championship (his 7th!). He finished 2nd at Spa in Belgium, in Ferrari?s 700th race to accumulate enough points to seal the deal.
Michael is also the highest paid racing driver in the world, earning a reputed $30 million US. His younger brother Ralf became the third highest paid driver in Formula 1 in 1999, when his pay after the 2000 season was raised to $15.5 million US.
PROFESSIONAL BOXING
On May, Antonio Tarver shocked the world with one thunderous left hand that knocked pound-for-pound king Roy Jones, Jr. down and out in round 2 of their rematch for the light heavyweight championship.
On June 5, Oscar De La Hoya wins a very controversial unanimous decision over the unheralded Felix Sturm to win the WBO middleweight title. On the same card, Bernard Hopkins defended his undisputed middleweight title against Robert Allen with a very easy unanimous decision
June 19 saw Marco Antonio Barrera returning off of a battering at the hands of Manny Pacquiao to be the first fighter to knockout former bantamweight champ Paulie Ayala in 10 rounds.
On September 18, the years biggest event which saw Bernard Hopkins landing one perfect left hook to the liver of Oscar De La Hoya to knock ?The Golden Boy? down and out in round 9 to unify the middleweight belts on his waist.Hopkins became to the first fighter to hold all four major title belts simultaneously.
Juan Manuel Marquez, maybe showing the effects of his war against Manny Pacquiao, won a lackluster unanimous decision over Orlando Salido to retain his IBF and WBA Featherweight titles.
October 2 is the comeback of Felix Trinidad, after a 28 month hiatus. He dazzled a packed house at Madison Square Garden and dominated former welterweight champ Ricardo Mayorga with an 8th round TKO.
On November 27, Marco Antonio Barrera defeated bitter rival Erik Morales in their classic 3rd fight to capture the WBC Super Featherweight championship.
PROJECTION
The Freeman Sports Staff looks forward to the year 2005 with great expectations and high sense of optimism.
On top of the long list is the Queen City of the South will be able to raise P9.5 million from the private sector and will eventually accomplish with tremendous success its role as one of the regional hubs of the 23rd South East Asian (SEA) Games.
Next is Filipino ring star Manny ?The Destroyer? Pacquiao, who will cement his status as the world?s finest featherweight fighter and likewise preserve his lofty status among the elite pound-for-pound warriors today by beating both Mexican greats Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera in similarly blockbuster return bouts.
Pacquiao will then emerge as the richest Filipino athlete ever, amassing multi-million dollars in earnings.
ALA Stable teenage sensation Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista will become one of the world?s youngest world boxing champions. After defending his WBO Asia-Pacific 118 pounds title against South African Vuyisile Bebe on January 29 in Mandaue City, Bautista will train in the US, fight twice abroad and then challenge and beat Thai Ratanachai Sor Vorapin to wrest the WBO bantamweight marbles at 19 years old.
OPBF super featherweight champion Randy ?Kumong Bato? Suico will score a vengeful win over African Mzonke Fana in their WBC elimination bout. The Cebuano hard-puncher will go on to claim the the regular WBC 130 pounds crown, which will be abdicated by Mexican hotshot Erik Morales.
Another Cebuano knockout artist Rodel ?Batang Mandaue? Mayol will defeat Colombian Isaac Bustos to capture the WBC minimumweight championship.
With the active participation of noted sportsmen Antonio ?Bidoy? L. Aldeguer, Rex ?Wakee? Salud and Sammy Gello-ani, the Cebu pro boxing fratenity will remain prosperous and will keep on soaring to greater heights.
In basketball, the Philippine Basketball Association and the Basketball Association of the Philippine will come up with a compromise deal aimed at forming a solid, fighting RP cage squad in a bid to regain the country?s hoop supremacy in Asia.
The Brgy. Ginebra Kings will win the inaugural championship of the new PBA season.
In the local scene, the M. Lhuillier Jewelers will continue its domination in the United Regional Basketball League, in the same way with Tribu Sugbu in the National Basketball Conference.
The University of the Visayas Green Lancers, on the other hand, will stretch their amazing unbeaten streak to 58 enroute to posting a record fifth straight crown in as many seasons in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc.
Various sports development programs intiated by the Cebu City governmentm, the M. Lhuillier Sports Development Foundation and some private entities will keep Cebu sports schedule so hectic.
Under the flagship of Cebu Football Association (CebuFA) president Jonathan ?Maxi? Maximo, the football community will even be busier in the coming year, while Team Cebu City-Dancesport, under the aegis of Edward Hayco and company, will also continue to reap various honors here and abroad.
Badminton will create more noise and impact in the sports community not only in Cebu, but also in the entire country.
Though the efforts of the Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau (CVCB) led by its chairman Patrick C. Gregorio, sports will play a vital role in boosting Cebu?s tourism industry.
Lawn tennis, chess, cycling, motocross, mountainbike, marathon and other long distance running events will also stay as among the key players that will make Cebu sports alive and kicking.
The holding of several martial arts events in the SEA Games here will also pave the way for the rise of popularity of contact sports in this portion of the archipelgo.
On the international level, San Antonio Spurs will win the NBA title over the Eastern Conference champions Miami Heat.
In tennis, the Russian revolution continues with crowd-darling Maria Sharapova and Anastasia Myskina at the forefront in the women?s class, while in the men?s side, Swiss Roger Federer will stay as the indomitable force to conquer, although the likes of Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin and Andy Roddick should also be watched out for.
Oscar de la Hoya, Roy Jones. Jr, and Ricardo Myorga will make great comebacks this year in the ring arena.
German Michael Schumacher will establish more records in Formula One, thereby, asserting his billing as the world?s best ever car race driver.
In golf, Tiger Woods will stage a roaring comeback on the way to regaining the No.1 spot snatched from him by the hottest parbuster today, Fiji?s Vijay Singh, the past year.
In cycling, Lance Armstrong will nail his unprecedented seventh straight plum in the prestigious Tour de France.
