by Elai Cruz
There is no explanation for the immense popularity of basketball in this country. And I am perpetually amazed at how passionate we as a people can get about this sport.
As a follow-up to Rage Dela Cruz’s article on the ongoing basketball tournament, I interviewed Paul Osongco on a few details of the event.
The tournament started with two separate groups. The Admin people, headed by Randy De Guzman, our Finance Manager, wanted to start a league. Paul Osongco of the Eye Center, also with the group, heard that people from the OR wanted to start one as well. The meeting between Paul and Dr. Chuck Pascual, head of OR, resulted in a joint effort which produced the present double round-robin liga.
What really surprises me is that this event does not have a sponsor. The funding came from the teams themselves. And what exactly do they need funding for? The referee’s fee. They actually have a referee and a professional one, at that.
The games started on 23 November 2006. With 23 games in all and seven teams competing, the championship is tentatively scheduled on 13 February 2007.
The teams are composed mainly of CLDH employees, with the participation of CLDH-EI employees, some of the medical representatives, and even doctors. Some of the doctors playing are Mario Tañedo, George Martinez, RJ Remandaban, and Chuck Pascual.
Prizes at stake include a trophy for first to third placers, with a cash prize for the champion. As of this writing, Paul tells me that they are still hunting around for sponsors for the prizes.
The games are played at the CLDH gym every Tuesday and Thursday. The schedules are posted everywhere, if you care to look. I'm not a big fan of basketball (I like billiards!) but I'll drop by one time and see what everyone's raving about.
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