ROXAS City – Every time a regional sports competition is held in the province of Capiz, many visiting athletes and coaches ask if they can meet Capiz’s sports heroes especially on the five-day Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet, Feb. 18 – 22, 2013.
The Capiz sports heroes, whose remarkable achievements are carved in the annals of Capiz and Philippine sports, include Glenn Peter Yap, shooting forward and number 8 overall pick of Alaska Aces in the 2000 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) annual draft. He was part of the 1992 Capiz team that bagged the Western Visayas Private School Athletic Association (PRISAA) basketball crown.
Before his PBA career, Yap played with the Adamson University Falcons in the University Athletic Association (UAAP) alongside with former PBA player Jherome Ejercito and PBA cager Eddie Laure. He is also a member of the RP team that pocketed the basketball crown in the 1997 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Nestor Yap of Picazo Street (formerly Lopez Jaena Street) in Roxas City and father of Glenn was a member of the 1962 Capiz basketball squad that won the defunct Western Visayas Association (now WVRAA) championship crown held in Capiz.
Rafael “Rafa” Dinglasan, a native of Pontevedra, Capiz, is a former member of the champion DLSU basketball team during the early ‘90s together with teammates Zandro “Jun” Limpot, Johnedel Cardel, Jonas Mariano, Gelacio Abanilla, Richard Bachmann, among others.
Former Capiz provincial board member Jose “Peping” Diaz is the first Capizeño cager to play in the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons basketball crew in the mid-50s of UAAP.
Arturo “Turic” Orosco, incumbent mayor of Sapian town, is a bemedalled athlete who excelled in long and triple jumps during his time.
Fritz Dorado of Brgy. Banica, Roxas City set a record of 14.43 meters in triple jump in the 1994 Palarong Pambansa. He is the current athletic coach of the Capiz athletics team.
Nobody can forget the popularity of twin Capizeno brothers Fernando and Romeo (deceased) Aleligay in the annals of athletics during the 60s. Both are sprinters and part of the Capiz 1962 triumph in the regional meet.
Fernando is now one of the sports consultants of the province of Capiz.
Tapaz-based athletes led by brothers Dandi and Fidel Gallenero alongside with Nestor Genodia made the town proud in marathon.
Dandi became a byword in marathon during his WVRAA and Palarong Pambansa years while his elder brother Fidel bannered the RP team in decathlon won medals for the country including the 2002 Asian Open Decathlon Championship held in Thailand.
Genodia, a marathoner who brought honors to the province in the early 90s, is considered one of the most durable long distance runners of his time.
Marly Llorito of Brgy. Jagnaya, Jamindan salvaged a silver medal in the rifle competition of the 2005 SEA Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Nerlyn Huinda of Cuartero town snatched silver medal in pencak silat during the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand.
Marigen Campos, Hanny Jean Delfin and Jenelyn Progio are considered by many athletic coaches as “Capiz’s amazing triumvirate” during their heydays in the PRISAA wars.
Campos of Brgy. IX, Roxas City is believed to the best runner of her generation, excelling in her favorite 800 meter-run, 5-kilometer, 10-K and 20-K. She also displayed her prowess in the 2000 Asian Women Track and Field Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand where she snatched a bronze in the 1,500 meter-run.
Delfin of Maayon town is a perennial Milo Marathon winner in the province of Capiz and the regional competition as well.
Progio of Cuartero town, dubbed as “Elma Muros version of Capiz,” lorded the 400 meter-low hurdles meter run and 4x100 meter-relay and 4x400 meter-relay.
Frederick Tumanon of Roxas City is a national junior chess champion in the mid-70s. He also played in several chess tournaments in China, Russia and other European countries. He is the only player out of 20 Filipino rated woodpushers to have forced a draw against world champion Boris Spassky’s simultaneous game held in Metro Manila in the late 70’s.
National Master Francis Jocson of Roxas City is the first-ever Capizeño national chess master. He defeated five national masters before bagging two titles in the 1999 Inter-Province and Cities Chess Championship held in Cagayan de Oro City. He also became the top board champion and outscored Filipino grandmaster Rogelio “Joey” Antonio.
Catalino Pestaño, Jr. of Brgy. Baybay, Roxas City became the province’s 2nd national chess master.
Capiz’s taekwondo team also hauled 6 gold medals, 2 silver and 2 bronze in the 6th World Korea Taekwondo Culture Expo in Mujugun, Jellabuk-do, Korea, July 6 to 11, 2012.
The Capiz jins were led by playing coach Joven Venancio (2 gold in kyorugi and poomsae), Raymond Ken Astronomia (1 gold in poomsae and 1 bronze in kyorugi), Van Joseph Astronomia (1 gold in poomsae and 1 bronze in kyorugi), Zharie Grae Te Aguirre (1 gold in poomsae and 1 silver in kyorugi) and John Michael Asturias (1 gold in kyorugi and 1 silver in poomsae).
Jose Maxian, dubbed as the “Machinegun”, is a native of Brgy. Nagsulang, Dumarao. He bagged the 2012 World Boxing Council (WBC) champion in the super featherweight International Youth after he knocked-out Themsamuthr Duaanay Mukdahan of Thailand on October 29, 2011 in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. (CPPB/Edward Basilonia)
