Philippine Showbiz Today
February 8 - 21, 2019
Fil-Am dynamo excited to join PBA
DUBAI, United Arab Emira-
tes – This is a warning to the big
guys of the PBA, including June
Mar Fajardo and Christian Stan-
hardinger of San Miguel Beer as
well as Japeth Aguilar and Greg
Slaughter of Barangay Ginebra
San Miguel.
If Fil-Am Jeremiah Gray was
able to posterize Syrian 7-foot-2
Abdulwahab Al Hamm, the lively
6-foot-4 guard can perhaps do it
with more authority when he plays
in the pro league next season.
He did score only six points
in Mighty Sports’ heart-pounding
85-81 win over Al Wahda of Syria
on Tuesday night but his towering
dunk over the Syrian center could
emerge as one of the highlights
Tennis
of the 30th Dubai International
Basketball Championship at the
Shabab Al Ahli Club here.
“Wow, it was awesome,” said
former University of the Philippi-
nes center Harlan Yu as the crowd
rose to their feet in approval to
Gray’s jaw-dropping dunk. “One
of the best dunks I’ve seen outsi-
de of the NBA.”
Though he’s being compared
to Rain or Shine’s Fil-Am guard
Gabe Norwood, Gray is far from
satisfied with his game.
After the tournament here,
Gray will go back to the US to tra-
in in the famed Impact One Fit-
ness in California.
“I want to be much quicker
and stronger,” said Gray, proud
Sydney Enriquez bags two crowns
- Rey C. Lachica, MB Sports
a 6-7(3), 6-4, 10-8 decision to
snare the 16-U plum. But the ri-
sing Davaoeño star failed to ma-
tch Enriquez’s feat as he retired
against top seed Bruce Hurtado
from Koronadal and yielded the
18-U crown in the five-day tour-
nament presented by Dunlop.
“We may see more of Enri-
quez and Haro’s exploits in the
next stops of the Mindanao swing
but we also expect new faces to
emerge as we continue to provi-
de the venue for these young pla-
yers who could be the country’s
next tennis stars,” said Palawan
Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby
Castro.
Other winners were John and
Mae Melendres from Polomolok,
South Cotabato; Andre Mateo
from Tupi, Cotabato; local bet Rey
Napala; and Sarangani’s Sheloh
Ripdos. ●
Villanueva wins, Suelo 2nd in
Singapore Open Rapid Chessfest
PLAYING true to his billing,
Filipino Vic Neil Villanueva, a
software engineer in Singapore
bested Open field with 6 of 7 per-
formance (on 6 wins and 1 loss)
to bring home the champion’s
purse of 400 Singapore Dollar as
he emerged the overall champion
in the February edition of Asean
Chess Academy (ACA) Open Ra-
pid Chess Tournament held last
Sunday (February 3, 2019) at the
Bukit Timah Shopping Centre in
Singapore.
Arena Grandmaster and Fide
Master elect Robert Suelo Jr., the
only player who beat eventual
champion Villanueva, garnered
5.5 points to bag solo second
place worth 300 Singapore Dollar
while International Master elect
Edgar Reggie Olay notch 5.0
points to secure the third-place
finish and went home worth 200
Basketball
owner of the Dominican Univer-
sity of California’s single-season
scoring record in the NCAA Divi-
sion II with 509 points.
A member of the All-PacWest
Third Team in his last season,
Gray also intends to bulk up a bit
to better prepare himself for the
rough and tumble play in the pro
league.
“I am actually excited now, I
am really hoping I can play in the
PBA soon,” said the amiable Fil-
Am.
So PBA’s big guys better pre-
pare yourselves when you face
this dynamo from Thousands
Oaks, California.
Mind you, he’s only 22.●
Sydney Enriquez played true
to form and racked up two titles
while Kurt Haro grabbed the spo-
tlight in boys’ singles as they sha-
red top honors in the PPS-PEPP
Gen San National age group ten-
nis tournament at the GenSan
City Tennis Club last Sunday.
The top-seeded Enriquez sto-
pped unranked doubles partner
Kyle Rivera twice, scoring a 6-3, 6-
1 romp in the girls’ 16-and-under
finals then running away with the
18-U plum via a 6-0, 6-2 victory
in the Group 2 tournament which
kicked off the six-leg Mindanao
swing of the circuit sponsored by
Palawan Pawnshop.
The fourth-ranked Haro, on
the other hand, survived unsee-
ded EJ Sta. Maria, hacking out
Chess
23
Singapore Dollar.
Rounding up to the top-10
circle are 4th Marcus Chen of Sin-
gapore (4.5 pts.), 5th Lincoln Yap,
of the Philippines (4.5 pts.), 6th
Woman International Master Jan
Jodilyn Fronda of the Philippines
(4.5 pts.), 7th Ravind Ricnesh of
Singapore (4.5 pts.), 8th Jayson
Jacobo Tiburcio of the Philippi-
nes (4.0 pts.),9th Erwin Tabor of
the Philippines (4.0 pts.) and Jo-
seph Navarro of the Philippines
(4.0 pts.).
Rohan Dash of Singapore
had superior tiebreak results over
Fide Master Nelson “Elo” Maria-
no III of the Philippines and I-En
Wong of Singapore to took the
11th place finish. Another Filipino
entry Ronald Castro at 19th place
with 2.5 points.●
- Marlon Bernardino, Philboxing
- MB Sports
It pays to
advertise…
Call
604-588-
6397
or email
info@
philippinenewstoday.com
for all of your
advertising
needs!