Philippine Asian News Today Vol 18 No 18 | Page 22

A22

PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY September 16 - 30, 2016

Spectator
By Al S. Mendoza

REPORTS say Manny Pacquiao’s
comeback fight on Nov. 6 (PHL Time)
is not selling well.
Reports also say MGM Grand in
Las Vegas is not interested in hosting
Pacquiao’s world welterweight clash
with champion Jessie Vargas.
Still, reports say HBO has
distanced itself from airing the bout.
To all that, I say, so what?
Ticket sales lag at the moment
because the fight is still a good eight
or so weeks away. Just you wait.
When the fight is finally round
the bend, that’s when fans start to
scamper for seats.
In all of sports, it is boxing that
draws suckers the most.
Pit Tyson against Holyfield as an
undercard in the Pacquiao-Vargas
bout and you will know what I mean.
Already, Bob Arum’s move to
put the Donaire-Magdaleno fight
as main chief supporting event has
immediately added extra luster to the
card.
Adding to the thrill is Donaire’s
recent move to get a new trainer for
his title tiff with Magdaleno.
Now who says the Thomas &
Mack Center inside University of
Nevada, Las Vegas, is a cheap arena
for the Pacquiao-Vargas tussle?
Hey, when Pacquiao met Erik
Mor ales there in the final of their
trilogy in 2006, the venue was filled to
the brim.
I was right there with writer
cum professor Sol F. Juvida and her
sister, the Los Angeles-based Ofelia

Will Pacquiao be a TV flop vs
Vargas?
J. Magturo, seated together in the
packed stands.
It was there where I saw Pacquiao
end his classic clashes with Morales
with a flourish, knocking the Mexican
legend out in the third round.
That gave Pacquiao a telling
final 2-1 edge after earlier stopping
“El Terrible to avenge a close loss
on points to Morales in their initial
skirmish in 2005.
And as to HBO’s disinterest in
the Pacquiao-Vargas fight—I couldn’t
care less. Nobody’s got a monopoly
of covering great fights.
Take Floyd Mayweather’s case.
For so long before he retired
only a while back, Mayweather got
Showtime to air his fights. Not even
one of his several Showtime bouts
got hurt at the tills. All blockbusters
even—almost.
Now, look. Not only is Showtime
interested in the Pacquiao-Vargas
fight. Include Turner Sports and
ESPN.
With Pacquiao in a fight card—
the first ever senator at that fighting
for a world boxing crown—how can a
TV network lose?
Either a jerk or some smartass
had goofed at HBO.
* * *
Frayna latest chess sensation
from Albay
TIME to praise again. A glass to
Janelle Mae Frayna, please?
Frayna is only barely past her
teens but she is already a Grandmaster,
which is the highest rank any chess
player can ever attain—male or

female.
If memory serves, there had been
cases of exceptional chess geniuses
being called “Super Grandmaster.”
Usually, one with an exceedingly
high ELO rating gets to be called a
Super GM. One or two Russians, I
guess, had gotten that extraordinary
tag? Was Ivanchuk one of them? And
another—an Indian, I suppose—got
that, too?
But to get back to Frayna.
Officially, Frayna is an FGM. And,
in answer to the query of Oscar Lopez,
the jolly Paraguayan husband of Asia’s
inimitable songbird Pilita Corrales,
on what “F” in the FGM means, it’s
“Female.”
Claro amigo?
And so, Frayna is a FGM (Female
Grandmaster) to differentiate her
from a GM, referring to a male
Grandmaster.
Frayna won her prestigious FGM
status playing for the Philippines in
the 42nd Chess Olympics in Baku,
Azerbaijan, ending only last week.
In clinching the honor that comes
as rare as a Mindanaoan’s first ever
victory in the presidential polls, such
as Digong’s triumph last May, Frayna
made history twice.
First, she became the first Filipina
to achieve the FGM status.
Second, as a full-fledged
Grandmaster, she is the youngest
Filipino to do so because, at 20, she is
two years younger than when Eugene
Torre became a GM at 22 in the 1974
Nice Olympics in France.
But if Frayna shone bright in

SPORTS

Azerbaijan, so did Torre.
The ageless Torre, pushing 65
now, was the tournament’s bronze
medalist—a feat that practically saw
him defy Father Time yet again.
I missed the Chess Olympics and,
with your indulgence, may I say again
that I had covered three Olympiads: the
1982 edition in Lucerne, Switzerland,
1986 Dubai Olympics and the 1994
Moscow Olympics.
In all three, Torre was our First
Board.
And, in all three frays, Torre and I
walked each night, almost every after
dinner, for about an hour—in the
company of his beautiful wife, Marlin.
Ah, to reminisce…
But before I stray further, here’s
to Frayna, whose brilliant 4-4-1, winloss-draw finish in Baku gave her the
required 6 points to earn her FGM
label.
Albay’s pride from Legazpi City
deserves applause. Deafening.
PAHABOL. In finishing unbeaten
with a stunning 9-2, win-draw record,
Eugene Torre, turning 65 in November,
wound up the highest individual scorer
(10 points) in the just-ended 42nd
Chess Olympics in Baku, Azerbaijan.
He won the bronze medal on Board
Three. I’m proud of Eugene, my afterdinner, walk-mate when I covered
his exploits in the Chess Olympiads
in 1982 Lucerne, Switzerland, 1986
Dubai and 1994 Moscow. More
power to you, my friend. And hi to
your beloved Marlin.

Pinoy teen to play in Arizona baseball tilt
By Alex Mino

A young lad got a rare
chance to strut his ware after
being selected to play for
Arizona Diamondbacks team
Senior Classic to be held on

October 12-16.
Kyle
Maunahan,
an
aspiring baseball sensation
was invited to play for the
scout team representing Team
BC/Arizona Diamondbacks.
The younger one among
the baseball brothers, he
earned a spot in the team
based on his performance in
previous tournaments.
Kyle, like his big brother
Justin, were named Most
Valuable
Players
in
a
tournament held in 2012.
In 2011, the Grade 11
student of Sir Charles Tupper
Secondary School scores a
solo home run that seals the
game for his team.
Kyle, son of Catalino and
Julie Joy, was also instrumental
in bagging the Bantam Boys
Championship back in 2013
for Vancouver Secondary
Sports Associations (VSSA).
The Vancouver Minor
Baseball Association recently
sent
a
congratulatory
message to Kyle, 16, for

clinching a spot to play
for the Arizona Senior Fall
Classic tournament.
The
younger
Maunahan will play in
front of 100+ college
and university scout which
means only one thing for
sure – Scholarships.
To be able for Kyle
to achieve his dream, he
will need some financial
support for travel and
accommodations.
Currently, his dad is
behind a fundraising for
Kyle’s cause to fulfill a
golden opportunity regarding
the latter’s vision to play for
that elusive tournament in
Arizona.
For those who want to
donate, just go to face book
page and click gofundme.
com Kyle Maunahan, Arizona
Scout Team.
Any amount will definitely
be a huge step for Kyle
towards boosting his chance
to showcase his talent in the

said tournament.
The Arizona Fall Classic is
one of a kind experience. This
is a wood bat showcase style
event where no scores are
kept and each inning is six
batters.
The main focus of the
Senior and Junior Tournament
is to provide opportunity
for players to continue to
play baseball beyond High
School.
They begin with the All

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Academic Tryout and Game,
where those that meet specific
academic
requirements
come i n the morning and
tryout in front of college and
professional evaluators.
The teams are selected
for the evening, whis is run
in showcase style. This gives
any colleges looking for an
academic player, a chance
to see many academically
qualified players in one place.