MANILA, 5 July — After two years, the World Grand Prix Women’s Volleyball Championships returns to the country this month with four of the world’s best teams once again expected to fire up Filipino fans with volleyball’s exciting action and the beauty and charm of some of the best players in the world.
Organized by the exclusive event manager, Arianworks Management Corporation in cooperation with the Philippine Amateur Volleyball Association, the event is slated to be held on July 19 to 21 at the Araneta Coliseum.
Sydney 2000 Olympics silver medalist Russia and bronze medalist Brazil, along with European champion Germany and Asian powerhouse Japan are the four teams participating in the Manila leg of this year’s World Grand Prix Women’s Volleyball series, which most of the teams are treating as part of their preparations for the Women’s World Championships this coming August.
Following brief opening ceremonies, Japan takes on Brazil and Russia battles Germany in the first day of the Manila leg on July 19. It’s Russia vs. Japan and Germany against Brazil on July 20 with the final day on July 21 pitting Germany and Japan, and Brazil vs. Russia.
Teams earn two Grand Prix points for a win and one point for loss.
The start of the preliminary rounds, to be hosted simultaneously by Tokyo, Japan and Chengdu in China, will be on July 12 to 14.
Del Rosario bags bowling gold
Liza del Rosario sparked the Philippines’ campaign in the 17th Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships, capturing the gold in the women’s singles event in Hong Kong. Last year’s World Cup runner-up finished with a six-game series of 1383 pinfalls, burning the SCAA Bowling Center on scores of 210, 222, 236, 226, 277 and 212 to repulse the challenge of Singapore’s Valerie Teo (1334) and Cathy Elwell (1261) of Australia, who ended up second and third, respectively.
The victory made up for the heartbreaking loss Del Rosario, currently ranked ninth in the world and a doubles gold medalist in last year’s Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games, suffered in the recent CGU Asian Bowling Tour third leg held in Manila where she lost in the finals against Chinese-Taipei’s Wang Yu Ling. Other than Del Rosario, the rest of the RP women’s team members also fared well. Team captain Jojo Canare wound up at sixth place with 1217 pinfalls followed by Cecille Yap at seventh with 1215 and Liza Clutario at 20th (1171).
Bustamante may compete in Pusan
Reigning World Pool Masters champion Francisco “Django” Bustamante is reportedly making himself available to join Efren “Bata” Reyes in the Philippine team that would compete in the coming Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea.
The Germany-based Bustamante has already sent feelers on a possible stint in the Sept. 29-Oct. 14 Asiad where the Filipino cue artists are eyeing three golds.
Bustamante, winner of the recent Munich leg of the International Billiards Council Tour and the Motolite World 9-Ball Challenge, is reportedly seeking to play 9-ball in Busan.
The 38-year-old cuemaster’s entry to the team, however, would depend on the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP), according to chief of mission Tom Carrasco. Bustamante is not listed in the BSCP’s team for Busan, which included Reyes, Lee Van Corteza and Warren Kiamco.
Leongson zooms in on title
Team captain and 1994 champion Ernie Leongson looks ready to capture the crown while Shell-Yamaha Racing Team looks unstoppable in this year’s WG&A Superferry Motocross Series.
Hardly finding any challenge from his closest rivals, Leongson ruled the expert open category for the fourth time in as many months to pull away in the overall standings and move on the threshold of winning his second national title in nine years. The recent victory worth 40 points gave Leongson, who hails from Taytay, Rizal, a runaway score of 151 points out of a possible 160 with only three legs left in the seven-part series. Leongson’s Shell-Yamaha teammate and seven-time champion Jovie Saulog is a far second overall with 126 points.
Rounding out the top five riders in the overall standings are Popeye Rubi and Weng Yapparcon, also of Shell-Yamaha, and Bebet dela Cruz of Caltex-KTM. Rubi has 118 points, Yapparcon 102 and Dela Cruz 75. Defending champion Glen Aguilar of Caltex-KTM is too far behind in the overall standings to even pose a threat to Leongson.
Ramirez ends Jody’s run
Jody Coseteng clinched his seventh consecutive victory for Caltex Havoline-Autoplus but his winning streak was checked by Kookie Ramirez in the 2002 SVI Subic Grand Prix at the renovated Subic International Raceway in Subic.
Coseteng had a decent start in Round 7 but the extra 70 kilogram handicap proved uncomfortable that he came into a neck-and-neck battle with Ramirez in the first three laps. Luckily, Ramirez committed a costly mistake of hitting the tires at the bus stop on the next lap and had to pass through the penalty drive thru. As Ramirez slipped to fourth, Coseteng built a wide margin over the rest of the pack on the sixth lap and his seventh straight triumph in the SVI Super Saloon Series was clearly inevitable.
Coseteng was on the verge of an eighth straight win with a wide margin over Ramirez with merely three laps to go when race marshals found him to have hit the tires at the bus stop — forcing him to negotiate the penalty drive thru. Ramirez then claimed the win.
