"So beat it. Just beat it" MICHAEL JACKSON
Iloilo’s Junel Perania (karate) and Rene Catalan (wushu) are two of the famous names in the 229-athlete Philippine contingent to the 15th Asian Games in Doha , Qatar on December 5-15, 2006. Perania is a cop and a product of my tokayo, Alex Palabrica’s karatedo program in the early 1990’s during the administrations of Mayor Mansueto A. Malabor in Iloilo City and Gov. Arthur Defensor in Iloilo Province.
In his first stint as member of the Philippine Team in the 1989 Brunei Southeast Asian (SEA) Games or SEAG, PO1 Perania bagged a bronze medal. So ecstatic was Perania’s friends and relatives that they celebrated the bronze like it was a gold medal. Then Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director, Chief Supt. Carlito Dimaano was so proud of his police officer that he recommended his promotion to the next higher rank to Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6) director Chief Supt. Jose Ayap.
Catalan, on the other hand, is a former amateur boxer from Sta. Barbara, Iloilo who turned professional after representing Iloilo province in the 1st LGUlympics hosted by Iloilo and held for two weeks at the Iloilo Sports Complex in 1997. After a brief lackluster performance in professional boxing (he was exploited by unscrupulous promoters and was made to fight in fly-by-night promotions in Aklan and Capiz), Catalan embraced the then debuting wushu under the tutelage of martial arts guru Arnold Tinagan.
WORLD CUP GOLD
Catalan has won a gold medal in the world cup of wushu in 2005 in Macau and recently defended his title in China . In Gov. Niel D. Tupas’ state of the province address (SOPA) last year, Catalan was a special mention. He is one of the only few Filipino athletes penciled to win one of the five gold medals being targeted by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). The Filipinos will participate in 31 events. Of the 348 official contingents, 229 are athletes, 94 are team officials, 15 are administrative staff, and 10 are medical personnel. With a slogan: "The Games of Your Life" an estimated 45 participating countries in 39 events, this year’s games will open at the Khalifa Sports Stadium. The 15th Asian Games (also known as the XV Asiad), is a multi-sports event that will be participated by different countries located in Asia . The event is going to be one of the most widely broadcast events all over the world. Doha became the first city in its region and only the second in West Asia since Tehran, Iran in 1974 to host the games.
MASCOT
The Doha Asian Games Organizing Committee chose "Orry", a Qatari Oryx, as the official mascot of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006. The Oryx was once an endangered species, but thanks to preservation and conservation groups, it has recently been reintroduced to the wild.
PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Palestine, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Timor-Leste, Chinese Taipei (Republic of China), United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen are countries participating. Events are Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Billiards & Snooker, Bodybuilding, Bowling, Boxing, Canoe & Kayak, Chess, Cycling, Equestrian, Fencing Field Hockey, Football (soccer), Golf, Gymnastics, Handball, Judo, Kabaddi, Karatedo Rowing, Rugby, Sailing, Sepak Takraw, Shooting, Softball, Soft Tennis, Squash, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball, Weightlifting, Wrestling and Wushu
FAR EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
The Games started as the Far Eastern Championship Games in 1913 hosted by the Philippines. After which, the other hosts were China 1915, Japan 1917, Philippines, 1919, China 1921, Japan 1923, Philippines 1925, China 1927, Japan 1930, Philippines, 1934 and Japan 1938. The Games was cancelled because of the World War II. When it was reinstated in 1951 in New Delhi , the Games was called as Asian Games. Manila hosted the 1954 edition followed by Tokyo in 1958, Jakarta in 1962, Bangkok in 1966, and in 1970, Tehran in 1974, Bangkok again 1978, New Delhi in 1982, Seoul South Korea in 1986, Beijing, China in 1990, Hiroshima, Japan in 1994, Bangkok, Thailand in 1998, Busan, South Korea in 2002, and finally in Doha, Qatar this year. Guangzhou, China will host the 2010 and 2014 editions.
POSTSCRIPT:
The world’s greatest racer Michael Schumacher has bidden farewell to a life that turned him from the unknown son of a bricklayer into the world’s greatest race-winning Ferrari star. He bowed out in style in his 249th and last year in the recent Brazilian Grand Prix won by his heir apparent Fernando Alonso, the 25-year-old new darling of Formula One.
Alonso is a man to watch after Schumacher. He has won 2 world titles and was the youngest world champion at 24 years old, 1 month, and 27 days. In 2003 in Hungary, Alonso was also the youngest winner of a Grand Prix. Currently, he has a record of 15 wins, 15 pole positions, 8 fastest race laps, 381 points scored, 7 wins in a single season (2005), 37 podiums.
Iloilo society page columnist John Castigador said he was impressed by the opening ceremonies of the University Games in Bacolod City last October 23. "If Bacolod can do it (hosting), why can’t we do it here?" he quipped. Castigador said he will meet with Nielex Tupas next week to discuss the possibility of convincing university presidents in Iloilo to also hold similar games in Iloilo City . "For a start, we can tap at least two events only. Let’s do it," challenged Castigador. /MP mailto:madyaas_pen@yahoo.com
No comments:
Post a Comment