Imee Moreno Philippine Badminton Association project director and Cagayan de Oro City councilor Imee Moreno. Photo from Imee Moreno’s Facebook page

From boxing to badminton: Cagayan de Oro could be next sports capital

February 1, 2023 Ed Andaya 739 views

CAGAYAN de Oro may already be the leading regional center and business hub in Northern Mindanao.

But Philippine Badminton Association (PBAD) project director and Councilor Imee Rose Moreno believes it could also easily be the next sports capital of the country.

With Tokyo Olympics boxing silver medalist Carlo Paalam and other notable sports heroes putting Cagayan de Oro back in the sporting map again, you can’t fault Moreno for saying so.

“In Cagayan de Oro, we really have a good sports program now under Mayor Rolando Uy. I’m really grateful that our Mayor is pushing through what we have already started in sports,” said Moreno during the 52nd “Sports on Air” program via Zoom recently.

“We actually have a good facility for sports here. It’s a four-storey dormitory for athletes, which is almost 80 percent complete. There’s also now the Carlo Paalam Boxing Ring, which was built with the support of the MVP Sports Foundation. There’s also a huge area now for the construction of badminton and tennis courts,” added Moreno.

Moreno, the only daughter of former Misamis Oriental Governor and Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno, also plans to bring more badminton competitions in their city.

“In my discussions with PBAD, we talked about promoting badminton in the grassroots. This is really a good opportunity for us to bring it closer to the people and encourage them to take up the sport. It’s really part of my advocacy in sports,”explained Moreno.

“Boxing champion Carlo Paalam started in the grassroots program of my Dad, former Mayor Oscar Moreno. He was only nine years old when he started training and he was a former basurero.

He’s not ashamed about it because he really rose from poverty through sports. He was an inspiration at yun talaga nag-ignite ng passion ko ngayon to promote badminton. Kung nagawa ng Cagayan de Oro na mag-produce ng boxing champions na gaya ni Paalam and 17-year-old Ronel Suyom, we can do it also in badminton.”

“Right now, Cagayan de Oro has 19 talented athletes being trained for the coming SEA Games in Cambodia. I have been told na our athletes have bigger chances of success in individual sports. So we hope to do it in badminton and maybe with the help of PBAD and MVP Sports Foundation, we can also produce world-class badminton players in four to five years. HIndi lang sila magiging pride ng Cagayan de Oro but pride ng buong Pilipinas,” said Moreno, who thanked Philippine Air Force coach Jen Cayetano, a level 2 BWF coach, for helping her with the badminton program.

“But it’s not all about winning. Gusto din nating ituro yun mga magandang benefits ng paglalaro ng sports in one’s life. Regardless of what sport, malaki ang tulong nito sa character building and development.”

Moreno, now a devoted mother to three children, credited her involvement in sports early in life for her love for the game.

“I’ve started really young in sports. I’ve played almost all sports. Name it, I tried it. I played badminton and volleyball for La Salle Zobel when I was Grade 7, even track and field,” recalled Moreno.

“When I first discovered badminton, it was still 1994 and I was in my fourth year high school. Nag-tryout ako sa DLSZ, where I studied at nakuha naman ako. But wala pa talaga masyadong naglalaro nun. When you think of badminton, ang iniisip ng tao, nagra-raketa sa kalye. We have very limited competitors dahil hindi lahat ng schools noon may team ng badminton.”

“When I went to college at St. Benilde, wala pa ding badminton team and I would even travel from Parañaque to Club Filipino in San Juan and Alabang Country Club dahil yun ang mga lugar na talagang madaming nag-badminton.”

Asked about her plans to continue playing badminton, Moreno said God led her to this calling.

“Every now and then, I would get involved or active for a year or two by joining tournaments. But as I got older at malalaki na din ang mga anak ko. I have more time now. Even before running for public office, badminton keeps pulling me back. That’s when I realized ang laki talaga ang nagagawa ng sports kahit pa middle-aged ka na. There is a purpose for this kaya talaga naging advocate ako ng sports because of what sports can give to any individual, especially the children. with reports from Gab Ferreras

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