INQUIRER Sports

VETERAN MEDIA MAN Ronnie Nathanielsz, unofficial guardian of national cager Japeth Aguilar who recently arrived from the United States, has been raving about his protégé after seeing him in a light workout on Monday with the Powerade Team Pilipinas.

“He’s great, he’s awesome! I’ve never seen a Filipino player like him in a long, long while,” said Ronnie, who credits Japeth’s transformation to the training he got from US NCAA Division 1 squad Western Kentucky University and the NBA developmental camp.

Teammate Arwind Santos said Japeth’s improvement from his Ateneo days is truly “amazing.”

“But you don’t have to listen to what I have to say about Japeth,” Ronnie said. “What’s important is the impression he’s made on coach Yeng Guiao.”

Yeng thinks the long wait is worth it.

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“Japeth’s presence in the team will be a big boost to our chances in the Jones Cup and the Fiba-Asia Men’s Championship,” Yeng said.

He observed that the once skinny Ateneo player has become athletic, more mobile, has better footwork, has grown at least two inches taller and can shoot from the outside.

According to Yeng, the 6-foot-9 Japeth complements the Nationals’ running game “because he’s a big man who’s quick, and he will be able to run the floor every time.”

Yeng believes Japeth is going to be the PBA’s next dominant big man if he decides to join the pro league.

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Over 500 swimmers from 81 schools all over the country are competing in a two-day age-group meet organized by the newly formed Aquatics Sports Association of the Philippines (Asap) at the Rizal Memorial pool on Vito Cruz. Asap is headed by lawyer Luz Arzaga Mendoza, herself a former age-group internationalist.

“Participants came all the way from Cebu and Bohol. Palarong Pambansa champion Loren Echavez joined,” said Mendoza, who waived the participation fees of the athletes.

“We are very thankful to PSC chair Harry Angping for the use of the pools and other facilities.”

The Asap did not find the need to get the sanction of the Pasa.

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When my friend Jack Ruby invited me to a recent roundtable interview-lunch with world-renowned chef Bobby Chinn, I did not hesitate.

I don’t write about food, as you know, but I’ve seen the pony-tailed, chinky-eyed chef on Discovery Travel and Living cable channel. I find his antics entertaining.

What made me curious about Bobby was his presence at the Araneta Coliseum dugout last November with his television crew.

Was he a basketball fan? Was he there to do a cooking demonstration for the PBA cagers? Or was he in the company of US Ambassador Kristie Kenney, a regular at the games?

None of the above. Bobby said he was searching for something, which had nothing to do with food.

Jack tipped me about a secret energy recipe concocted by Bobby for his favorite football team, but the chef, who is half Egyptian, half Chinese and educated in London and the US, gave me a book about his life and cuisine and dared me to search for the secret recipe in those pages.