Philippine sports rode on the exploits of world-class billiards ace Carlo Biado and pole vault superstar EJ Obiena to get the ball rolling in 2024.
Biado ruled the Chinese Taipei Open to start off a promising year not only for the cuemasters but also for Philippine sportsmen and sportswomen.
The 40-year-old Biado defeated Bernie Regalario in an all-Filipino finale, 13-7, to hoist the trophy in the first ranking event of the World Nine-ball Tour (WNT) and lead the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s achievers for the month of January.
Joining Biado in the honor roll were youngsters Alex Eala and Rianne Malixi, who sparkled in international tennis and golf, respectively.
Eala, 18, clinched her first pro doubles title in the W50 Pune India, where she and Latvian partner Darja Semenistaja upset top seeds Naiktha Baius of Great Britain and Fannin Stellar of Hungary, 7-6 (8), 6-3, in the championship.
The sixteen-year-old Malixi, for her part, flew the flag in the Australian Master of the Amateurs in Melbourne, where she reigned supreme with a seven-under 285, beating India’s Avani Prashanth by one shot.
Come February, Obiena, the 2023 PSA Athlete of the Year, took his turn to shine.
The world No. 2 pole vaulter opened the season with a smashing triumph in the Memorial Josip Gasparac in Croatia behind a new meet record of 5.8 meters. He followed it up with gold in the ISTAF Indoor Meet in Berlin, Germany on a season’s best 5.93m effort.
Obiena’s twin conquests served as highlight for a success-filled February for Filipinos in many fronts.
Multi-titled cuemaster Lee Van Corteza and reigning world 10-ball queen Chezka Centeno made it a clean sweep for the country in the Las Vegas Open.
Corteza edged Biado for the men’s crown, 4-2, 4-3, while Centeno outclassed Chinese Chen Siming, 4-2, 4-2, for the title in the distaff side.
Top lady boxer Nesthy Petecio sparked a four-gold haul in the Boxam Elite Tournament in La Murcia, Spain. Petecio dominated the women’s featherweight, while Rogen Ladon (men’s flyweight), Aira Villegas (women’s lightfly) and Hergie Bacyadan (women’s middleweight) did the same in their respective divisions.
Gilas Pilipinas kicked off the Tim Cone era with a two-game sweep of the opening window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. Cone’s Gilas 12 demolished Hong Kong on the road, 94-64, then walloped Chinese Taipei at the PhilSports Arena, 106-53, for pole position in Group B.
Youth power delivered, too, with Jamesray Ajido, 14, striking gold in the 12-14 boys’ 100-m butterfly event of the 11th Asian Age Group Swimming Championships in Clark and Marc Custodio, 20, clinching the Open Division title of the 10th DIBC Delta Open Bowling Tournament in Dubai.