How are we growing in sports?
I am so glad to see that sports of the higher education institutions in Sorsogon, particularly in private schools are improving fast. I could remember those years, the first time I step-in here sports were not our priority.
The collegiate tournament, particularly in basketball was frozen in the past years as the organizers lost to most school heads their credibility of handling an encouraging sports program.
Since then we joined PRISAA but went home empty handed with medals.
I remember in 2007, when Fr. Escanilla suggested us of not joining the Regional PRISAA because Sorsogon sports were not yet competitive. I told him that if we will not join this that would signal death to our chapter. Here, I rallied to strengthen our complementation instead of competition among the members.
That resulted to my election as the President of the chapter in the same year, after I successfully hold the Regional Friendship Game here in Sorsogon. Here we exhibited our goal for a quality basketball program for the province.
Consequently, we had created the Basketball Inter-collegiate Championship of Sorsogon, popularly known as BICCS in August 2007 with eight higher education institutions as members. They were the Our Lady of Penafrancia Seminary, The Lewis College, Speed Computer College, Sorsogon State College, St. Louise de Marillac College of Sorsogon, Bicol Merchant Marine College, Sorsogon College of Criminology, Aemilianum College and Computer Communication Development Institute.
The BICCS became a potent avenue for developing the athletic potentials of young Sorsoganons. With our persistence, member-schools had improved their basketball programs. Some HEI’s were even encouraged to provide scholarships to their athletes.
From thereon, our sports have improved tremendously. In 2007, two teams (CCDI and ACI) were able to compete for the PCCL Regional Elimination in Naga City.
It was in this year, when Sorsogon started to show up its potentials in basketball. The combined forces of eight HEI’s in Sorsogon made us a team-to-beat in basketball. We were ranked a runner-up in PRISAA Regional in 2008 and 2009 in this sports events usually dominated by Naga City with University of Nueva Caceres lording the collegiate basketball for almost a decade.
In 2008 and 2009, CCDI Wildcats representing Sorsogon was ranked 2nd runner-up and 1st runner up in South Luzon by Philippine Collegiate Champions League.
Sorsogon basketball represented by CCDI Wildcats with few selections from other schools swamped the combined forces of Naga super universities (Ateneo, UNC, USI and NCF) by 17 points in the final game in PRISAA Regional Games in Daet, Camarines Norte last February of this year. That laurelled Sorsogon to represent not only the province but the entire Bicol region in the first-ever CHED National Palaro in Metro Manila last February 2010. Here, CCDI challenged the NCAA Champion 2009 -the San Sebastian College Stags.
In 2010, CCDI soared and champed the South-Luzon Bicol Championship besting other champions, the Ateneo de naga U, Enverga U, Bicol College and Amando Cope College. Sorsogon Wildcats represented the province in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (Zonal) against two champions Lyceum University and Arellano University, last November 9 – 14, 2010.
PCCL Director, Joe Lipa was impressed with the fast development of basketball in Sorsogon. “Sorsogon is no longer a weeping man in sports. Sorsogon start gaining the respect of the country as it shows tremendous improvement,” he said.
Other than the tournament development, we did also helped worked to improve our officiating and coaching capabilities by conducting training and workshops. We worked out to have our referees in Sorsogon registered to Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas or SBP, the only FIBA accredited basketball association in the country. We had invited the renowned international referee, Richard Villanueva provide enhancement to our referees. We had invited a sports leader - Bernie Atienza and veteran coach Bong Go accredit our local coaches from Sorsogon and Albay for SBP’s National Coaches and Licensing Program. We sent our referees like, Charles Jarabejo to international officiating training with FIBA Asia’s Alan Richardson and Lubo Kotleba.
We also launched the Sorsogon Juniors last August this year which was participated by six major schools offering secondary courses. They were the St. Louise de Marillac College of Sorsogon, The Lewis College, Annuncation College of Bacon Sorsogon Units, Inc. Our Lady of Penafrancia Seminary, First Baptist Chiristain Academy and its first league champion, Aemilianum College, Inc.
Generally, the sports in the private higher education institutions improved a lot. Last PRISAA Regional 2009, Sorsogon chapter ranked First-Runner up in the over-all medal standing, with the Cam. Sur/Naga City at the top.
Zaira Hapin, an athlete of Solis Institute of Technology, Bulan, Sorsogon was medaled bronze in athletics in CHED National Games 2010, the first awardee in athletics from PRISAA Sorsogon.
Our dance sports program with Johan Gutay as its coach had excelled for the past two years and had brought the pride of being the Bicol representative to the National Dance Sports Competition for PRISAA in 2009 and 2010. It has now developed Studio 26, a clinic for young dancers.
Amidst these achievements and sports development brought to us by our HEIs complementation, there are sports leaders and politicians who are dragging us down. Well, I think it is but normal to any growing association.
CCDI representing the province of Sorsogon swept its opponents in the PCCL South Luzon-Bicol Championship last October. A certain Enverga coach named Benedict Vegamora, accused that his team Enverga University was cheated in their game against CCDI-Sorsogon. He uploaded in his Facebook account the contested call of certain Mr. Jomar Gorom, elite referee of Naga City. Such edited video was tagged to his friends. Among them were coaches like Coach Aldin Ayo, Sorsogon City Councilor and Noli Ayo of Ateneo de Naga University. The video instantly spread out to their circle of friends.
Curiously I watched the said controversial video which was edited from the original copy I gave to Mr. Rick Berry of Enverga University who asked me one before they left home.
Although the issue is already moot and academic, I asked SBP officiating group in Sorsogon to investigate on such issue since in a social networking site, SBP Sorsogon is accused of cheating in the game.
Accordingly, they reported me the following findings: (1) the referee who called the foul is not a member of Sorsogon SBP referee, but from the Naga City Elite Referee. (2) The foul was committed as witnessed by SBP Technical committee members who all witnessed the commission of foul. The video shot in far distance is insubstantial to say it was a foul or not since the objects were blurred. Only those who saw the action live can say it was a foul or not. (3.) Such call was deliberated, the video was reviewed during the game in the presence of PCCL National Director, Joe Lipa and his Regional Head, Mr. Edper Brojan, with the Regional Technical committee and has found it a FOUL. (3) Facebook is not a proper venue of complain. They should have brought this issue to the proper forum – in PCCL and SBP. Such Enverga coach should have formally filed a complaint to the technical committee immediately upon occurrence of the offense. The posting of this controversial video in their facebook account is made on malice, deceit and irresponsibility; thus aimed at destroying the image of Sorsogon basketball.
Right after the game I told Rick Berry, head coach of Enverga U to make a formal complain to PCCL because CCDI is willing for a rematch and even give way to them for the zonal tilt once there was an irregularity.
We in Sorsogon, is so sad of this issue because there are sports leaders here, who instead of helping us clarify the issue had exaggerated it and seems they will be happy that Sorsogon team is being turned down. One time, I was approached by a certain BARECOM referee and told me that Hon. Mike Go was upset to CCDI because of that event. I did not believe in him because, I have not yet talked to the good city councilor.
During PCCL, I was happy with the people who supported our hosting. CCDI team struggled financially but made our representation for Sorsogon successful… and Sorsogon won!
I pity to our young innocent athletes, who strived hard to give honor to Sorsogon sports but are being disgraced by selfish individuals. Sad to say, during their PCCL league our athletes used to borrow shoes from their friends, and solicit a penny for the gym rentals during practices. Yet, with perseverance and dedication they were able to show to the whole country that Sorsoganon can offer a competitive basketball in a high league.
Now, the power house league is coming - the Sosogon Open Basketball Tournament spearheaded by our very sports minded Mayor Leovic Dioneda. I expect everyone to share a common spirit, which is, keeping alive the pride of Sorsogon in sports.
I believe, unless leaders set aside their personal interests, our sports in Sorsogon will always be vulnerable.
In my observation this is the reason why we slowly grow in sports because of the poisonous practice, CRAB MENTALITY.
For me, what we experienced here are just challenges, in which everyone should work on. I thank my fellow members in BICCS, Sorsogon Juniors and PRISAA for keeping our group intact and stable.
Along this way, we expect that more challenges will obstruct us but we never lose our spirit of delivering better sports program as we continue uplift our pride. This is the kind of contribution we in the private higher education institutions want to share to our local government and to our dear people of the province.
We challenge our friends and other sports leaders also, DELIVER BETTER SPORTS FOR SORSOGON!
