Mikee Romero misses PH Polo finals

Instead of extending a congratulatory greeting, we found ourselves offering our deepest condolences to Globalport playing team owner Mikee Romero last Sunday just before the championship match of the inaugural Philippine Polo Open between San Miguel and Globalport at the Manila Polo Club in Makati.

Mikee was supposed to play in the finals of the weeklong competition that saw the likes of Brunei royalties like Prince Jefri, Bahar and Qawi Bolkiah in action. But he had to beg off at the last minute when news of his Lolo Mike’s death reached him that same Sunday morning.

“I will be there (MPC) but I won’t play,” he said. Lolo Mike (lawyer Miguel Lagman, after whom Mikee was named) just passed away that morning in Hong Kong.

It’s hard to fathom the depth of Mikee’s grief over the loss of the grandfather he dearly loved. It was Lolo Mike who raised and took care of Mikee since he was a small boy. He taught him to play basketball, ride a horse, shoot a gun and hunt.

“He died while celebrating his 88th birthday in Hong Kong with my mom, my uncle and all my aunts.”

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“Personally, my memories of Lolo Mike were always associated with Pacquiao fights.

“Remember, siya kasama ko on every boxing event sa Araneta and Pacquiao match? Remember?”

Of  course. Lolo Mike was always the first to arrive at the live viewing of a Pacquiao fight, watching the very first undercard.

“Lolo Mike liked boxing but he never tried the sport. He was into basketball though when he was young. He used to be a basketball player for Pampanga. His dad Eligio, my great grandfather, was former governor and congressman of Pampanga.

“Lolo is a sportsman through and through. He influenced me a lot, especially in hunting. He was a world-class hunter,” Mikee said.

Although still grieving over the loss of his Lolo Mike whom he considers his best friend, Mikee said he had to take a grip of himself and move on.

Mikee, who was watching yesterday’s women’s volleyball match between the Ateneo and the La Salle spikers, of which he is the team manager, said he had a lot to thank his Lolo Mike for.

But I’m sure Lolo Mike would also thank the boy he had raised to be a fine sportsman and through whom he had lived out and fulfilled his dreams.