Build and they will come

In its continuing journey around the country, In This Corner, the TV fight program, revisited Binangonan, Rizal, for a 60-round card last December 28. But on this trip, the travelling fight show was delighted to be at a spanking new recreational center that’s open to all, and quite affordable at that.

The Binangonan Recreational and Convention Center opened last July 5 and has been attracting tons of guests since then. Insiders told me that the center was packed last Christmas Day.

Located on Manila East Road in Barangay Batingan, the facility has an indoor basketball court, badminton courts, two children-friendly swimming pools, billiards tables and a bowling alley.

The bowling lanes are for both tenpin and duckpin play. The duckpins allow children and the elderly to enjoy bowling without having to grapple with the heavier tenpin balls. Prices are affordable with duckpin bowling costing P35 per game and tenpin games at P60 each game.

What was remarkable was that many folk arrived at the center in tricycles and jeepneys. The center has modern facilities but does not inhibit anyone from bringing family and friends for fun and games. Even chilling out, as the young people today say, is possible at the center that has a coffee shop and stalls that sell popular street food.

Keeping the prices affordable will be key to this facility’s continued presence and success. If the prices of food and recreation become too out of reach, then the town folk will shy away from this otherwise excellent facility.

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The fights were a treat from Mayor Boyet Ynares who wanted folks who live farther from the town plaza (the usual boxing venue) to enjoy a fight night. The ring was set up in the middle of the parking lot and had playful Christmas lights as a festive background. The crowd arrived in slippers, shorts, baseball caps and even basketball jerseys to relish an evening of knockouts and quick stoppages.

Ariscon Boxing Stable rising star Richard Claveras wasted no time in stopping Roy Lagrada with a TKO win in the first round of a six-rounder. Former OPBF champion Ronald Pontillas eked out a fifth-round technical unanimous decision versus Leonardo Doronio. Pontillas was ahead in the scorecards when a nasty collision of heads with Doronio forced the ring doctor to recommend the end of the fight.

Dan Nazareno Jr. hammered out a second-round TKO against former super lightweight titlist Eusebio Baluarte. And in the last bout, Vergel Puton won his eighth straight fight with a second-round stoppage of Richard Olisa. Puton is being eyed by the Rod Nazario gym as its next big star with a Philippine championship and overseas bouts being slated for 2014.

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The old sports adage from the movie Field of Dreams still rings true. In that baseball classic film, a voice whispered, “If you build it and they will come,” to farmer Roy Kinsella to build a baseball diamond in a cornfield.

The same holds true in our own fields. If we build reliable and affordable sports facilities, our people will come and play to relish sports in their different forms.