2010 FUTSAL Championships

A total of 24 teams from various colleges and clubs clashed for the 2010 Futsal Championships held around Club 650 in Eastwood, Pasig last August 14 to 15, 2010.

According to Farita Villanueva of Creative Lab Inc., the tournament organizer, the sport of futsal is slowly gaining popularity in the country, drawing a boost with the recently concluded FIFA World Cup held in South Africa.

Futsal is a variant of football that is played on a smaller playing surface. This indoor game is also played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regular football. The rules make room for improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.

The two-day competition involved 12 teams each in the men's and women's divisions.

The tournament is sponsored by Club 650, Nivea, Molten, Garage Magazine, Rider, Beach Hut, Ideal Vision, Friendster, Enervon HP, Apricot Diner, Flexiserve Media, One Sport sports and fitness event guide, Scorecard Infinite Lifestyle Card and Immuvit. It is organized by Creative Lab, Inc. - events and design agency.

For further inquiry regarding the event, contact Creative Lab, Inc. (Creative Two) at (632) 772-2792, 772-3631, email mail@creativetwo.com or visit http://www.creativetwo.com

Bike Festival Asia 2010

Filipino bikers from all over the country will again push pedals during the Bike Festival Asia 2010 to be held on May 21 – 22, 2010 at Terrazas de Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas.

The event aims to boost tourism in Southern Luzon and promote wellness and active lifestyle. This annual event is co-presented by the Department of Tourism (DoT) and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) (formerly Philippine Tourism Authority).

Competition is open to all bikers age 18 - 55 years old. Interested participants may register at L.E.N. Plus Inc., Unit F, Lower Ground Floor, CT. Center Building, 520 Shaw Blvd., cor. Old Wack Wack St., Mandaluyong City. Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon barbeque will be provided for all registered participants. Registration starts on May 10 to May 17, 2010.

For more information, contact L.E.N. Plus, Inc., at (632) 532-9443 or email lenplus@pldtdsl.net.

3rd Siargao Gamefishing Tournament in Siargao Island Held

At least 41 anglers worldwide– 18 of them Filipinos challenged the seas of Siargao Island for the big catch during a five-day 3rd Siargao Gamefishing Tournament 2010 held last April 14 - 18, 2010 at Pilar, Siargao Island in Surigao del Sur.

Participating anglers came from Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States of America and the host country, Philippines. These anglers challenged the seas of Siargao for the big catch with prizes ranging from P30,000.00 to P50,000.00 cash under the five contest categories.

Department of Tourism Undersecretary for Sports and Wellness Cynthia Carreon graced the event along wit DOT CARAGA Regional Director Leticia Tan.

The 3rd Siargao Gamefishing Tournament is sponsored by San Miguel Corporation and Cebu Pacific Air and supported by and First District of Surigao del Norte, headed by Rep. Francisco T. Matugas, local government of Pilar, Siargao Island, headed by Pilar Mayor Lucio T. Gonzales, and the Department of Tourism.

For information on how to be a part of the event, contact Atty. Gordon Uy of GoodCatch Fishing Tackle at (632)303-8677 or Ms. Zeny Pallugna, event organizer, at (63929) 6721508, email siargao_fishing@yahoo.com. Interested parties can check the Tournament website at www.siargaogamefishing.com.

Surfing the Wind and Waves at the 21st Neil Pryde Funboard Cup

Eighty-three participants, which included 36 kiteboarders and 47 windsurfers, from 14 countries flocked to the Bulabog Beach in Boracay last Jan. 22–27 to conquer the wind and the waves for the 21st Neil Pryde Boracay Funboard Cup. The tournament also featured the Boracay Big Air Challenge, presented by Cabrinha Kites.

Hosting the event were Green Yard Fun Board Center and the Hangin Kite Center, where competitors enjoyed 15–22 knot winds for five days of racing.

Keichii Kobayashi, a veteran windsurfer from Guam and who also won top honors in the previous year, bagged the first place trophy in four events, making him only the third man in 21 years to win multiple and back-to-back Neil Pryde Cups. Spirited competition provided Kobayashi a challenge, in the form of Turkey’s Salih Cakir and the Philippines’ own German Paz.

Top kitesurfing honors went to Cabrinha’s Ken Nacor of the Philippines for Freestyle Men, Mike Raper for Course Racing, and Carla del Castillo of Spain for Freestyle Women. The kitesurfers won the head-to-head with Boracay resident Angel Parzhuber taking the overall top spot and Salih Cakir of Turkey winning the crown for the windsurfers.]

The Neil Pryde Boracay International Funboard Cup was presented by Cushe Footwear and supported by ROX, Cabrinha, Green Yard Funboard Center, Hangin Kite Center, the Department of Tourism, and the Municipality of Malay in Aklan. The event’s official airline sponsors were SEAIR and ZestAir.

Media sponsors include The Manila Bulletin, The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jam 88.3, Magic 89.9, Studio 23, the Lifestyle Network, The ABS-CBN News Channel, Balls, ClicktheCity.com, Action Asia, the Business Mirror, One Sport Magazine, and Garage.

Top Scrabble Players Gather in Baguio for Centennial World Builders Tilt

Twelve years after the Philippines hosted the first-ever international scrabble championships, the Centennial Word Builders Tournament kicked off at the Baguio Country Club last Sept. 17–20.

The first international tournament held in the country was in the Sulu Hotel in 1997, where American Sam Kantimathi won the title.

With a final list of 34 registered participants from the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, and Saudi Arabia, the word experts went through 33 rounds of match ups, testing their vocabulary and tactics in word placement across the board. Said Huub Luyk, Baguio Benguet Word Builders Cup president, of the Centennial Tournament, “This is the most ambitious undertaking yet.”

Competitors included man-to-beat Nigel Richards, defending World Scrabble Championship and National Scrabble Championship (North America) titlist, and Chris May from New South Wales, who is Australia’s fifth ranked player. Others in the roster included Marlon Prudencio (a Filipino now based in Singapore), Odette Rio (Philippines, National Scrabble Champion in 2004), and Pakorn Nemitrmansuk and Taewan Suththasin of Thailand.

Top players from Malaysia include Vannitha Balasingam and Yao Kian Hung; Singapore had Tony Sim; Saudi Arabia had lone competitor Ricardo Gonzalez.

The $7,000 event was backed by Axa Philippines, Smart, Baguio Mayor Reinaldo Bautista, Baguio Rep. Mauricio Domogan, Total, and Baguio Centennial Commission.

After four days of tile shuffling, Philippines’ Theodore Martus bagged the crown and took home the $4,000.00 prize, scoring a total of 14,721 points, a narrow five point lead over Pakorn Nemitrmansuk, who competed in the 2007 Panagbenga Cup. Vannitha Balasingam of Malaysia clinched the third place. Rounding up the top five were favorites Nigel Richards and Chris May.

For a complete list of details, log on to http://bbwbc.freecp.net/events.html or contact the secretariat through Abe Gogoling at mobile number (63) 918-3188253 or send and e-mail to abe_gogoling@yahoo.com. You may also contact Huub Luyk via mobile number (63) 918-9593464 or e-mail 51be52hu@skyinet.net.

Siargao Gears up for the 2nd International Game Fishing Tournament

The First District of Surigao del Norte (composed of Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen, General Luna, Pilar, San Benito, San Isidro, Santa Monica, and Socorro), the Department of Tourism, and the local government of Pilar, Siargao Island jointly announced that preparations for the Siargao Invitational Game Fishing Tournament 2009 are now underway.

On its second year, the tournament will be held at the scenic coastal town of Pilar, Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte from May 7-9, 2009 and is expected to draw more than a hundred local and foreign anglers from Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Russia, Taiwan and the United States. Considered as a form of recreational fishing as well as a legitimate sport, the goal in game fishing is to catch the largest bony fish in the open sea.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, together with some local and foreign dignitaries, will grace the opening ceremonies of the tournament. Surigao del Norte Second District Congressman Francisco Matugas, the “Father” of the Tournament said that the event is expected to put the Philippines in the map as an important international game fishing venue. Furthermore, Congressman Matugas stated that the event can boost the island's tourism industry such as world class surfing destination Cloud Nine, gifted with pristine white sand beaches and tropical marine life-rich coral reefs. Cloud Nine is also the largest mangrove forest in the country at 8,760 hectares. Congressman Matugas is resolute that tourism is the prime vehicle for the development of the island and of the whole Province of Surigao del Norte. He believes that once fully developed, the tourism industry will be a major contributor to uplift the lives of the people of his province.

Top prizes amounting to Php. 300,000.00 await the anglers who will gather the highest weight points and heaviest catch of the 3-day international event.

The 2^nd Siargao International Game Fishing Tournament is sponsored by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), San Miguel Brewery, Inc., Duty Free Philippines, and Philippine Tourism Authority

For information on how to be a part of the event, call Ms. Zeny Pallugna at 0929-6721508, email zenpallugna@yahoo.com.ph or Atty. Gordon Uy of GoodCatch Fishing Tackle at (02)303-8677. Interested parties can check the Tournament website at www.siargaogamefishing.com.