Isa pa? | Bandera

Isa pa?

Barry Pascua |August 22,2014
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Isa pa?

Barry Pascua - August 22, 2014 - 12:00 PM

KAGABI ay pormal na natapos ang aking termino bilang pangulo ng PBA Press Corps. Nagwakas ito matapos na maigawad namin ang mga parangal sa Coach of the Year na si Tim Cone, Executive of the Year na si Ramon S. Ang at iba pa sa annual awards night na ginanap sa Richmonde Hotel sa Eastwood.

Maraming nagsasabi na dapat daw ay umulit ako bilang pangulo ng PBAPC para sa 40th season. Pero iniisip ko pa, e. Ang sabi ko sa aking mga kasamang sportswriter, “I want to enjoy my life.”

Hahaha.

Sa totoo lang, hindi ko naisip na mabuo ang termino ko bilang pangulo ng PBAPC e. Kasi, noong isang taon ay nabulag na ako bunga ng diabetes. Nakakita na lang akong muli at nakapagtrabaho.

Pinilit lang nila akong maging pangulo ng PBAPC at sinabing tutulungan nila akong mairaos ang aking termino. Kaya ako pumayag. Heto ang aking remarks kagabi:
“If I remember it right, 31 years ago, I was approximately in this same area covering a karting event in what was then known as the JRC Ramrod compound.

Towards the afternoon, everyone in the venue was fidgety not because of the competition but because of alarming reports from an airport nearby.

That’s why immediately after the event, I rushed home and learned of the fate that befell Ninoy Aquino.
Those were trying times.

But life went on for all of us. A lot of karting events were later held before the JRC Ramrod was torn down and Eastwood emerged.

Political upheavals notwithstanding, Philippine sports continued to flourish. After all, just like sportsmen, ordinary mortals know how to rise from challenges.

Tonight, 31 years after the uncertainty brought about by the Aquino assassination, I return to approximately the same location not to mourn the events of 1983 but to celebrate the accomplishment of the 39th season of the Philippine Basketball Association.

It has been a long way for me from my juvenile years as a sportswriter to eventually becoming president of the PBA Press Corps, the oldest president at that.

And I thought I wouldn’t be able to hold office and complete my term because of temporary blindness brought about by an ailment.

Thanks to you guys for prodding and inspiring me to persevere and regain my health and eyesight. It’s a pleasure and an honor to have been part of a glorious 39th PBA season.

Tonight, we honor a man who has proven that putting together a Grand Slam is easy. He has done it for the second time. We honor the Coach of the Year.

And if there’s a coach who can do it for the third or even fourth time, that would be him.

But, of course, he is not alone in accomplishing such a feat. Without the backing of people behind him, it would have been difficult to win even one of the three jewels comprising the Triple Crown.

Thus, we also honor alongside him the Executive of the Year. After all, this is also the second time that a ballclub from his company has come away with a Grand Slam.

We also doff our hats to the gallant men who have brought their A-Game every single night to make the games of the PBA exciting and relevant as they should be. As always, every PBA season will be a fun ride and a memorable journey. Every season will always be distinct from the other and will be remembered for a different reason.

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Let the 39th season of the PBA be remembered for coach Tim Cone weaving his magic again and for Mr. Ramon S. Ang making a dream come true anew.”

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