November 2007 Archives

INQUIRER.NET multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla interviewed Carina Purugganan, the country's only female representative in the bodybuilding category of the 2007 Southeast Asian Games to be held this December in Thailand., for iVDO on Yahoo! Visit iVDO on Yahoo! for more videos from INQUIRER.net and our partners.

YUP, INQUIRER.net now has its own Sports channel, which brings together its original online content, stories from other members of the Philippine Daily Inquirer Group of Publications, and video clips and other material from our partners such as Solar Sports and Raya Sports & Events. The sites under the INQUIRER.net Sports channel include Solar Sports, Sports on iVDO, Sports Breaking News, Inquirer Sports, Cebu Daily News Sports, Sports Aficionado, The Pacquiao Files, HIP Golf Digest, Raya Sports, Hey, Joe by Ted Lerner. and Columnists. The Sports on iVDO channel showcases the original video stories that INQUIRER.net is creating, including a video interview with Carina Purugganan, the country's only female representative in the bodybuilding category of the 2007 Southeast Asian Games to be held this December in Thailand, and a feature on "The Filipino Flash," International Boxing Federation and International Boxing Organization world flyweight champion Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire Jr.

AFTER watching this video taken by INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla, you'll know why International Boxing Federation and International Boxing Organization world flyweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. has earned the nickname "The Filipino Flash." Here he's shown sparring with his father Nonito Donaire Sr., who is also his coach and trainer. This video was taken during Donaire's press conference at the IMAX parking lot for his upcoming bout against Mexico's Luis "Titi" Maldonado on Dec. 2, which will be simulcast over Solar Sports and GMA Network. Now I just have one question: If you're a Filipino, how the heck are you supposed to say the nickname of Donaire's Mexican opponent with a straight face, hehe :) Want more videos from INQUIRER.net and our partners? Visit iVDO on Yahoo!

SUPERMAN almost did it, but Daryl Peach, the "Dazzler" from Blackpool, England, found the Kryptonite he needed to down Filipino Roberto Gomez, 17-15, and win the 2007 World Pool Championship. Gomez, known internationally as Superman, had already made history as the first qualifier (non-seeded player) to make it all the way to the finals of the World Pool Championship. After coming from behind to level the match at 12 racks apiece, Gomez was flying high and seemed poised to win the championship as he took the next three racks to lead, 15-12. Peach, however, who has also made history as the first Englishman to ever reach the finals of the World Pool Championship, refused to wilt and made his own comeback, with the predominantly pro-Filipino crowd at the Araneta Coliseum showing their appreciation for his great escapes from Gomez's safeties and grace under pressure. The turning point was the nightmare 31st rack, which might forever haunt Gomez. After Peach had leveled the match, 15-15, Gomez looked set to win Rack 31 after getting an opportunity to return to the table when the 2 ball refused to sink in the corner pocket after Peach banked it. Gomez, however, missed a simple shot while trying to sink the 5 ball. Peach pocketed the balls but then ended up dead straight on the 8. Peach sank the 8 but now found himself in a horrible position for the 9. He had no choice but to bank, and he went for it. In doing so, however, he handed what looked like a "gimme shot" to Gomez. Unbelievably, Superman missed his second easy shot in Rack 31, and Peach calmly sank the 9 to go on the hill, 16-15. Gomez had a golden opportunity to make it the second straight year that a Filipino won the World Pool Championship, after Ronnie Alcano defeated Germany's Ralf Souquet in the finals last year. Somewhat fittingly, it was Peach who had dethroned Alcano at the start of the knockout stage of the World Pool Championship. He again broke the hearts of Filipino fans when he eliminated Francisco “Django” Bustamante in the quarterfinals.

I'VE just tuned in to Studio 23 to catch the 2007 World Pool Championship battle between Filipino Roberto Gomez and England's Daryl Peach. This won't be a blow-by-blow attempt at liveblogging since I was only able to watch the match now, but keep refreshing to get the results of the final racks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Gomez will be able to pull this off and make this the second straight year that a Filipino has won the 2007 WPC. Rack 24 The crowd at the Araneta Coliseum erupts as Gomez, known internationally by the moniker Superman, completes his comeback against England's Daryl Peach to level the score at 12 racks apiece, making the race-to-17 championship a race-to-5 affair. Rack 25 After a battle of safeties, Gomez wins the rack to grab the lead, 13-12. Rack 26 For a moment it looked like Peach would level the match after Gomez handed him a lifeline, but Superman flies high and finishes the rack to extend his lead, 14-12. Rack 27 The crowd roars its approval as Gomez sinks the 9 ball to make the score 15-12. Gomez is now just two racks away from winning the championship. Rack 28 Rack 28 proved to be another battle of safeties. The crowd showed its sportsmanship and appreciation for good pool, applauding Peach for his world-class play and grace under pressure as he made seemingly impossible escapes from Gomez's safeties. Peach eventually won the battle of wills to cut down Gomez's lead, 13-15. Rack 29 OK, this is turning into a real nail-biter. Peach is pouring the pressure on as he cuts down Gomez's lead further, 14-15. Rack 30 I think I'm going to have a heart attack. You've really got to hand it to Peach; it's tough coming from behind, particularly if you're playing against the hometown favorite, but he's a true champion. It's now 15-all. Rack 31 Superman gets an opportunity after the 2 ball refuses to sink in the corner pocket after Peach banks it. Peach shakes his head in disbelief. Gomez, however, misses a simple shot while trying to sink the 5 ball to hand an opportunity to Peach. Peach pockets the balls but then ends up dead straight on the 8. Peach sinks the 8 but now finds himself in a horrible position for the 9. He has no choice but to bank, and he goes for it. In doing so hands what looks like a gimme shot to Gomez. Gomez, however, commits another terrible error and misses the 9, handing the rack to Peach. Peach is now on the hill, leading 16-15. Rack 32 Peach is now breaking for the championship. He's the first Englishman to ever make it this far in the World Pool Championship, and now he has the chance to win it all. The commentators quip that Peach is taking a long time coming back from the bathroom, but add that they don't blame him because this is the first time he has ever had to play at this level. Peach finally breaks. After a battle of safeties, Peach finds himself down to the last five balls for the title. Peach bites his lips as he prepares to sink the 8 ball. Now he's on the 9 ball. Peach sinks the 9 ball. He has won the 2007 World Pool Championship.

WHO would have thought we'd end up with this finals match in the 2007 World Pool Championship? The host country's hopes of winning the crown remain alive as the last Filipino bet standing, Robert Gomez, takes on England's Daryl Peach this Sunday. Let's keep our fingers crossed :)

DANG, both defending champ Ronnie Alcano and Efren "Bata" Reyes have been eliminated from the 2007 World Pool Championship. I'm still stunned. Do you hear that sound? It's the sound of Filipino hearts breaking all over the Philippines and around the world. Who do you think will bring home the prize this year? Want to watch the live pay-per-view streaming video? Go to the Raya Streaming Video page.

By Associated Press BEIJING--A Filipino marketing manager and an American who works with Chinese orphans are among eight foreigners living in China who have been picked to join in the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch run across the country, organizers said Friday. Marcos Antonio Torres was picked from among 262 applicants in a contest organized by Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group, an Olympic sponsor, and the government newspaper China Daily. Each will carry the torch for 200 meters on Chinese soil. Torres is a marketing manager in Beijing who launched an online campaign to appeal for votes. He said it made him a celebrity in his homeland. "It started out with one e-mail which I forwarded to people in my address book. After that, I wrote a blog, and then a day or two after there were over 1,000 blogs about my appeal," he told The Associated Press. "Then I went to the Philippines for national holidays and I was invited by TV and radio. In fact, it wasn't just any TV and radio shows. I appeared on the No. 1 radio station in the Philippines," he said. Torres has been living and working in the Chinese capital since June 2006. He also writes for Metrozine, which he describes as the top bilingual magazine in Beijing. He wanted to witness the 2008 Olympics so much he declined an opportunity to move to Shanghai. In his desire to become an Olympic torchbearer, Torres “e-mailed everyone [he] possibly [knew] including [his] office e-mail address,” which connected over 400 persons in nine cities worldwide, to ask them to vote for him. In the website www.pinoytorchbearer.com, he said that even company founder Moira Moser voted for him. Numerous blogs, websites, television and radio stations in the Philippines have supported him in his dream. A sports buff, Torres was captain of his college’s volleyball team and had won amateur badminton tournaments. He also enjoys bowling and playing tennis. Meanwhile, American Jenny Bowen, from San Francisco, lives in Beijing and runs a foundation to help Chinese orphans. People who answered the phone at the foundation's Hong Kong office said she was in the United States and not immediately available for comment. The other winners come from India, Venezuela, German, Russia, Japan and Colombia. They will be among 19,400 runners who are to carry the torch across China for the games next August. Lenovo hopes the Games will help to make it a global brand following its 2005 acquisition of IBM Corp.'s personal computer unit. The Beijing-based company's designers created the 2008 Olympic torch. The final selection was made by a panel of Lenovo and China Daily employees after nearly 300,000 people voted in a month-long online campaign, according to the newspaper. Candidates had to show an appreciation of Chinese culture and history and a devotion to communicating the "real China" to the world, the China Daily said. The winners still require approval by the Beijing Organizing Committee of the games. Other winners were: • Meena Barot, from India, a business manager in the northern Chinese city of Shijiazhuang. • Yoshitoshi Mizuya, from Nagano, Japan, chairman of a Beijing-based computer company. • Luis Hong-Sanchez, from Colombia, a student in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai. • Yury Ilyakhin, from Moscow, general manager of a Beijing information technology company. • Deirdre Smyth, who has dual British-Venezuelan nationality, a graphic designer in Beijing. • Werner Ebel, from Berlin, a civil engineer in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou. Beijing organizers plan to stage the longest torch relay in Olympic history -- a 137,000-kilometer (85,000-mile), 130-day route across five continents. There have been controversies over its proposed passage through Tibet and Taiwan. Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing claims as part of its territory, rejected Beijing's terms for inclusion on the route. Tibet independence supporters accuse Beijing of using the relay to convey a false message of harmony in the troubled Himalayan region that communist troops occupied in 1951. With a report from Cyril L. Bonabente, Inquirer Research

WE'VE launched the Hey, Joe INQUIRER.net blog of author and sports columnist Ted Lerner, who will be covering the 2007 World Pool Championship and writing feature stories on pool and the Filipino passion for this sport. We've also just launched the 2007 World Pool Championship Special Site, so keep visiting it for the latest updates. Here's an excerpt from Ted's first entry:

The venue for the tournament has been changed from the intimate Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) to the legendary Araneta Coliseum, the very building where Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier battled in their classic third encounter back in 1975. That fact alone should tell you that this year’s WPC is poised for fireworks. To this day, “The Thrilla in Manila” is still considered one of the greatest heavyweight fights in the history of the sweet science.

Actually, when I first heard about the plan to hold the WPC at the cavernous Araneta, I didn’t think it would work. The place holds over 20,000 people and seems more suited for basketball games and concerts, which are the usual fare there. But I’ve seen the engineering plans and I’m here to tell you that the pool world will have never seen anything like it. They’re going to build raised platforms in the stands for the six outside tables and put two TV tables on the floor. The configuration means they can accommodate upwards of 6, 000 people a day. Seeing as the Araneta sits right in the middle of one of the busiest sections of Manila, they all might very well show up. The last time pool saw many thousands show up for a tournament, America had just emerged from the Great War (that’s World War I.)

And here's an excerpt from his "A beer, a date, a bet, and the 'American' game of pool" article:

It’s what happens when you have your military camped around the world. Your culture — the good, the bad and the ugly — goes with you. Imagine if peace miraculously ever does come to Iraq, 30 to 40 years from now you’ll probably see Iraqi pool players making big strides in the sport. Pool is one of the few American imports the fun-killing fundamentalists over there could probably tolerate. Chains of Hooters restaurants in Baghdad obviously won’t cut it. In Germany most people could easily trace America’s version of pool back to 1945 and the end of World War II, when, after crushing the Germans, the Americans took up a prolonged residency. For the Philippines the beginnings are not so evident. Pool fans who have never been to the Philippines often wonder how it is that the sport became so vastly popular in this tropical Asian archipelago. Well, check your history folks. 99 out of 100 Americans probably have no clue that the Philippines was once an American colony. Anyone seeking to unearth one of the reasons for the Filipinos’ insatiable love of pool, need look no further than 80 kilometers north of Manila here to the former US Clark Air Force Base, and the adjacent dusty, bustling, cow-town of Angeles City. You’ve heard of Angeles City, right? Sure you have. That’s the hometown of the greatest player of all time: Efren “Bata” Reyes.

The 2007 WPC will be held at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City from Nov. 3-11. Who do you think will bring home the crown this year?