SPORTS has long been part of my life since I started dabbling in sports writing way back in 1977.

And since that time, I have interviewed maybe over a thousand athletes and coaches at least.

But it is only now that I have realized coaches , athletes, and married couples have something in common.

They are both hoping and praying for the gold, a gold medal for the athletes and to be shared with their coaches, while for married couples like me and my wife Marissa, we are also looking at a golden performance in life, that is, reaching the 50th year of married life, and celebrate a golden wedding anniversary.

One difference though, athletes only need to wait months or every four years in the case of an Olympic gold medal , to win that elusive gold while us couples can only pray the good Lord gives us the extended lives to reach that dreant if gold in married life.

But mind you, if athletes need to go through a lot of struggles , do a lot of sacrifices, and more to win a gold, married couples go through a lot more, patience, perseverance, determination, hard work, these are just some of what they need for that gold.

Now why am I talking of this matter

Well, allow me to digress for this time for today, January 15, we have reached our 40th year of being married, but still need 10 more years to celebrate a golden anniversary.

We are both in our late 60’s now, and will be in our late 70’s upon reaching that golden milestone, and that will depend on the good Lord if we will win our own gold.

Looking back at life, just like many, it has been a long journey of early struggles, a lot of ups and downs, fortunately more on the ups than downs, with dreams dashed and achieved.

But just the fact that our three kids, JM, Janis, and Jemi , now all adults with lives of their own, have grown up and become responsible adults , it gives us a sense of fulfillment in life, with our joy doubled when Jemi, the youngest , gave us so far our one and only grandchild in Livi sevwn years ago.

And it will be a back to back for me and Maris if we see her turn 18 in 2034 after we hit our 50th year in 2033.

Anyway, going back to sports, it played a big role for me in winning the heart of Marissa as I used to entice her on dates by bringing her to some PBA games , and giving her the opportunity to know and be known by some players whom I have personally befriended.

It is also true that when we got married in 1983, some of our wedding entourage, the word sounds impressive but it was a simple wedding then, included PBA cagers like my best man Fritz Gaston from U-tex, Ed Cordero from Toyota, Bambi Kabigting from San Miguel Beer, and Frankie Lim from Tanduay.

Among the sponsors were Gen. Pete Juachon, a skydiver and marathon organizer, Rudy Ledesma, whom I met while he was coaching in the WNCAA, and Alex Rosario from my first employer COD Department Store and father to Olympian swimmer Ral.

Ral was later on was “ninong” to Jemi together with San Miguel Beer legend Hector Calma and Barangay Ginebra’s Steve Watson.

Throw in shooting champion Tac Padilla too.

Triathlon head Tom Carrasco was also”ninong” to Jemi in her “kumpil”.

Fritz and Ed were god fathers to JM, Frankie was godfather to Janis but did not make it on the actual day of baptism because his foot was in cast.

You see, just like my marriage to Marissa, I was also married to sports, even longer than I have been with her.

Happy 40th Anniversary to me and Marissa.

Happy 46th anniversary to me and sports, next week back to real sports in my piece, promise. By Lito Cinco

For comments and suggestions, email to [email protected]