Sweet November
IT was sweet November for the TNT Tropang Giga.
And why not?
Led by import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the Tropang Giga completed another successful campaign by winning back-to-back PBA championships in the PBA Governors’ Cup over crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
How big a victory was it for the Tropang Giga, coach Chot Reyes and Hollis- Jefferson?
Let us count the ways.
First, the title was the 10th for the Manny V. Pangilinan franchise since joining Asia’s first play-for-pay league in 1990.
A subsidiary of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), which came into the league under the Pepsi Cola feanchise, TNT also became the sixth winningest franchise in league history behind San Miguel Corporation (29), Barangay Ginebra (15), Alaska Milk (14) Magnolia (14), and Crispa (13).
TNT also broke a tie for sixth place all-time with Toyota, which had nine titles.
Second, Reyes also earned his 10th PBA title — and first since returning to active duty as head coach of the MVP franchise.
A six-time “Coach of the Year”, the 60-year-old Reyes also captured the PBA championships — two with Purefoods in 1993 All-Filipino and 1994 Commissioner’s Cup; two with Coca-Cola in 2002 All-Filipino and 2003 Reinforced, and five others with TNT in 2009 Philippine Cup, 2011 Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup, 2012 Philippine Cup and 2021 Philippine Cup.
Third, Hollis-Jefferson achieved a vindication of sort as he finally put one over three-time PBA Best Import awardee Justin Brownlee and Ginebra coach Tim Cone who beat him to the draw in the last Asian Games in Hangzhou. China.
Personally, it’s payback time for the hard-working Jordanian naturalized player.
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It would also be sweet November for either Tagaytay City Mayor and cycling head Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and PBA legend and baseball chief Chito Loyzaga as they battle it out in the coming Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) elections on Nov. 29 at the East Ocean Seafood Restaurant 8n Parañaque City.
Tolentino is seeking re-election as president of the country’s highest governing body in sports, while Loyzaga is hoping to unseat him and take over as head of the POC.
Judging from his performance as POC .president covering two Olympics from 2020 to 2024, Tolentino is the hands-down choice to get elected into a third term.
As POC president, Tolentino is best remembered for producing three gold medals for the country — one by weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz in the Tokyo Olympics and two by gymnast Caloy Yulo in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Before the country’s three-gold medal haul under Tolentino, no other POC president managed to deliver a gold since the country first participated in the world’s biggest sporting stage in Paris in 1924.
This year, Tolentino has assembled a virtual who’s who in Philippine sports as part of his team hoping to lead the country’s campaign in varioys major sporting events all the way to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Tolentino’s “POC Working Team” includes Al Panlilio, first vice president (basketball); Richard Gomez (modern pentathlon), second vice president; Dr. Jose Raul Canlas (surfing), treasurer; Donaldo “Don” Caringal (volleyball), auditor; and Alvin Aguilar (wrestling), Len Escollante (canoe, kayak and dragon boat), Alexander “Ali” Sulit (judo), Ferdinand Agustin (jiu-jitsu) and Leah Jalandoni Gonzales (fencing) as members of the Executive Board.
Running under the platform of Unity, Good Governance, Transparency, Integrity, Peace and Inclusivity with Loyzaga are Robert Bachmann (squash) as second vice president, Rod Roque (weighlifting), auditor. and Rep. Peter Miguel (archery), Dr. Charlie Ho (netball), Rommel Miranda (kurash), Derek Ramsay (gymnastics), and Steven Virata (equestrian) as members of the Executive Board.
Who will get the sweetest smile on this Sweet November? Your guess is as good as mine.
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