By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
LAOAG CITY—Three Ilocos Norte
athletes are in line for the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.
According to Ilocos Norte
sports consultant Faivo Bartolome the three shortlisted Ilocano athletes that
may qualify for the honors under the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) are
Jesson Cid, Eric Ang and Victorino Barba.
Raised in Dingras town, Mr. Cid
is widely recognized as Southeast Asia’s best all-around
athlete. At age 13, he began playing competitive basketball until sports
officials persuaded him to try high jump. He later became the University
Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) “iron man”. The UAAP even
changed its rules to limit the number of events an athlete could compete in
because of Mr. Cid, who excelled in a variety of athletic events.
Trap shooter Eric Ang from
Laoag City and is an Olympian. He earned
his ticket to the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a wildcard entry and placed 24th
out of 94 of the world’s best trap shooters.
After Beijing, Mr. Ang placed
seventh in the Trap Shooting World Cup in Germany, the highest finish for an
Asian so far.
Meanwhile, Mr. Barba, an equestrienne and brother of Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Eugenio
Angelo M. Barba is from San Nicolas. He won numerous medals in the South East Asian
and Asian Games.
Mr. Bartolome added, “We are
also looking at records of other athletes in the province who may probably be
included in the list.”
Earlier, the PSC urged the
Ilocos Norte Sports Development Council to submit their nominees for the search
for Filipino sports legends.
The law mandates the PSC honor
the sacrifices and achievements of the country’s sports heroes.
Established in 1999, the
Sports Hall of Fame aims “to immortalize the Filipino Sports heritage and serve
as in inspiration for our countrymen.”
By law, candidates eligible
for enshrinement is limited to Filipino athletes, coaches and trainers who
"have won a gold medal in any Southeast Asian Games, or silver medalist in
any Asian Games or Asian Games or regional games, or bronze medalist in any
Olympic or World Games, or a world champion in any professional or amateur
sports competition.”
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