RRD-Araw table tennis set

Friendee Nunez of table tennis (extreme left) announces the event.

The table tennis event of the 71^st Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Sports Festival gets going on March 15 to 16 at the S.I.R. Elementary School.

University of Mindanao, Holy Cross of Davao College, Brokenshire College, Davao Doctor’s College, Philippine Air Force teams and players from the Davao Region Athletic Association are competing in the two-day event sponsored by the Sports Development Division under sports coordinator Christopher “Bong” Go and sanctioned by the Table Tennis Association of the Philippines XI under regional vice-president Peter Laviña.

On Thursday’s DSA Forum at the Tower Inn, Friendee Nuñez of the Metro Davao Table Tennis Association said that prizes are up for grabs in the men’s and women’s singles, 14 years old and under boys and girls, men’s singles class B and men’s singles 40 years old and above categories.

DSA tackles PRISAA Meet, RRD-Araw festival

The Regional PRISAA Meet and the Mayor Rodrigo Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Sports Festival are the topics of the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum on Thursday, March 13, 10:30 a.m. at the Tower Inn.

Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) Davao Region president Pedro San Jose and executive director Joaquin Sarabia will give details of the regional eliminations on March 14 to 16.

Paul Rabe of bowling, Friendee Nunez of table tennis and Nilda Sebellino of sepak takraw are among the guests who will talk about their respective events which is part of the RRD-Araw sports festival this year.

National senior golf team member Joe Marfori is also joining the weekly public service sports program sponsored by Tower Inn and Genesis 88 Advertising.

DSA president and sports editor Charles Maxey is enjoining members to attend.

Al’s Diner to tender victory party for Davao amateur boxers

Alan W. Barnett of Al’s Diner is the newest backer of the Davao City Amateur Boxing Team, giving Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) Davao Chapter President Edgar Ibuyan another supporter.

Barnett is giving the nine boxers a victory party on Saturday, 2 p.m., at Al’s Diner to honor their two golds, three silvers and four bronzes output in the recent Kaamulan Boxing Festival, topped by Gen.Santos City.

On Thursday’s DSA Forum at the Tower Inn , Barnett said he decided to help the fighters after being convinced by fellow American Ron Doran to also contribute.

The boxers will also get cash rewards courtesy of Al’s Diner, popular for its giant burger.

Engelbert and John Vincent Morante won the gold medals for the team managed by Doran, who is also known for backing former amateur standout Ali Brashary Cali.

Cali is now a professional fighter for Wakee Salud in Cebu which was facilitated by Doran. Cali, Doran said, will be having another professional fight on March 15 in Manila.

Doran also bared that they have also sought supporters to help in the improvement of the boxing gym at the back of the Davao City Recreation Center.

He thanked Councilor Ibuyan for being a generous supporter too to the fighters.

Ring idol Manny Pacquiao and NCCC Mall came in as supporters to amateur boxing also by providing them with food and equipment.

RMC collides with Jive on Friday

The Rizal Memorial Colleges Bulldogs collide with the Jive Resorts in the resumption of the 1^st Petron Basketball Series on Friday at the Davao City Recreation Center.

Game time is at 7 p.m.

Jive Resorts will meet the Davao Marine Merchant Academy Cruisers on Saturday at 4 p.m. for its second assignment in an attempt for a spot to face tournament leader City Mayor’s Office which posted two wins and one loss in the Petron Extra Unleaded Division.

Holy Cross of Davao College meets Emar College at 5:30 p.m. for the last game in the elimination round.

The championship game is on Sunday at 5 p.m.

On Thursday’s DSA Forum at the Tower Inn, Jonas Aleonar, Regional Sales Manager of Petron, said that they are backing basketball and volleyball this year.

Smashville tourney set

The Smashville Badminton Tournament is on March 15 to 16, according to organizer Danilo Dividina.

On Thursday’s DSA Forum at the Tower Inn, he said that around 200 players are competing in the two-day event.

Prizes are up for grabs.

He said that the classification of players is already in order because of their participants have been playing in their event for the last four years.

“We already have a date on the website,” he said.

Nine-year-old jin dreams of playing in Olympics

CPJ Championship gold medalist Jonah Covarubias displays fine form on Thursday's DSA Forum at the Ateneo de Davao University.DAVAO SPORTSWRITERS ASSN.


Nine-year-old Jonah Covarubias dreams of playing in the Olympics.

And he will continue to pursue that dream by continually honing his skills at the JT Taekwondo Center and regularly competing in various tournaments.

Covarubias said he practiced hard that made him a gold medalist in the CPJ Championships recently in Manila and he will continue to practice and reap honors.

His next assignment is the upcoming 71^st Araw ng Dabaw Taekwondo Tournament next month.

Covarubias attended Thursday’s Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at the Ateneo de Davao University where he presented his medal along with his parents.

Aside from enjoying the sport, the multi-titled Covarubias has made a mark in Davao taekwondo by becoming the first junior player to win a gold medal in the CPJ Championships.

Japanese coaches are in Davao for a “transfer of technology”

Philanthropist Tatsuo Uchida explains some points on Thursday's DSA Forum at the Ateneo de Davao University. Beside him is Datu Uchida Development Foundation Sports Coordinator Yusuke Uchida.DAVAO SPORTSWRITERS ASSN.

The knowledge sharing starts on Saturday at the University of Mindanao Matina campus when Hidetoshi Suzuki and Atsushi Matsuzaki will teach Davao coaches on how to improve the game of their teams seeing action in the 3^rd Davao City Baseball Cup.

On Thursday’s Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at the Ateneo de Davao University, Suzuki said that they are in Davao to help in the transformation also of the youth through baseball.

He said that someday the youngsters they have helped will soon become better adults.

Public high and elementary schools are competing in the Baseball Cup initiated by the Datu Uchida Development Foundation chaired by Datu Bago awardee Tatsuo Uchida.

Uchida, a Davao born Japanese, said he considers Davao City as his hometown and so he is making contributions in the development of the city and its people.

The Datu Bago awardee was instrumental in the putting up of an orphanage center located at the back of the Davao Medical Center, establishment of a museum in Calinan and a lingap center in Tugbok, support to the Nikkei Jin Kai and music development for the youth.

Uchida said that a community can become better with the help from the different sectors and believes that the kids of today will play an important role in making Davao better when they become adults.