PSC chair William Ramirez. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Philippine sports undergoes a crucial test with the Philippine Sports Commission vowing to take an active hand in the preparation of the national contingent for the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia this August.
Not only will the PSC provide funding for the national campaign, Chair Butch Ramirez said the PSC will closely monitor the training and preparation of the athletes to prioritize the selection only of the athletes with medal potentials.
How the Philippine Olympic Committee will deal with this new PSC thrust is worth watching.
POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. has steadfastly insisted on overseeing the country’s SEA Games campaign despite the continued plunge in performance by the athletes since our breakthrough overall victory at home in 2005.
The Philippine Cup, the centerpiece event of the PBA once known as the All-Filipino tournament, has produced another comeback for the ages that ranks close behind the epic rally that rewarded the San Miguel Beermen with the championship at the start of the 2015-2016 season.
Trailing by 26 points at 61-87 early in the last quarter, Phoenix Petroleum outscored GlobalPort, 40-18, the rest of the way to salvage a 101-99 win last Dec. 28, capped by a tip-in of a missed three-point attempt with 2.4 seconds left.
The improbable escape boosted the Fuel Masters’ campaign in the tight scramble for the eight quarterfinalists at the end of the eliminations.
It also brought to mind the Beermen’s own never-say-die spirit when they fought back from 0-3 down in the best-of-seven title playoffs against the Alaska Aces to score an unprecedented four straight victories and steal the crown.
Meanwhile, the Beermen, who played in the main half of that day’s double header, seemed determined to keep the championship by whipping Meralco, 101-86, to remain ahead with a 5-1 record.
Cyrus Baguio unloaded all his seven points to spark a nine-point run that gave Phoenix the lead at 99-96.
After Terrence Romeo tied it with three free throws, Mark Borboran followed up a miss by Simon Enciso to complete the comeback.
Instead of a tie for second at 4-2 with the TNT KaTropa and Rain or Shine, GlobalPort fell to 3-3 behind Phoenix and Blackwater (4-3).