#Throwback2014: Puso, glory, and heartbreak make for memorable year in Philippine sports

 

It has been an eventful year for Philippine sports — from the rise of new local dynasties and the surprise triumphs individual athletes in the world stage to the bitter setbacks of national teams all the way to that inspiring battle of a team searching for the first win. Before the year ends, let's take a moment to pause and relive the moments of glory and heartbreak in the field of sports.

 

Michael Martinez

 

Michael Martinez set the tone for Philippine sports when he became the first Southeast Asian skater to compete in the Winter Olympics on February 13. The 18-year-old booked his Olympiad debut in Sochi, Russia after placing seventh in the Nebelhorn Trophy back in 2013.

 

Skating to the music of a Romeo and Juliet love song, Martinez placed 19th in a pool of 29 figure skaters for the short program and advanced to the free skate. He finished 19th overall with a score of 184.25, but wowed the world with his potential when he executed a Biellmann spin that is usually performed by female skaters.

 

A self-made athlete, Martinez took interest in the sport when he saw skaters in the rink of SM South Mall. Battling asthma, injuries, and financial woes, the Filipino Ice Prince captured the hearts of many fans as he put the country in the skating map and climbed to the highest stage at such an early age.

Alyssa Valdez and the Ateneo Lady Eagles

 

Ateneo Lady Eagles pulled off the biggest upset in the UAAP women's volleyball when they stunned the defending champions De La Salle Lady Spikers in the finals series to win their first title in the tournament.

 

Deemed as huge underdogs even against the National University in the semifinals, Ateneo erased a twice-to-beat advantage to return to the finals despite losing five key players. Up against thrice-to-beat La Salle, which swept the elimination round with an immaculate 14-0 record, the Lady Eagles led by star spiker Alyssa Valdez pulled all the stops to force the winner-take-all.

 

The crucial Game Three went all the way down to the fifth set and extended to a deuce, but a controversial double-touch call on La Salle setter Kim Fajardo ended the game in favor of the "Heartstrong" Eagles. Ateneo then made quick work of the demoralized champs in Game 4, taking the title with a straight-set victory.

 

San Mig Super Coffee Mixers

 

The San Mig Super Coffee Mixers achieved a rare Grand Slam in the 2013-2014 season of the PBA after bagging the championship titles in all three conferences. With the triumvirate of Marc Pingris, James Yap, and Peter June Simon, they completed the feat in July 9 when they disposed the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the finals series of the Governor's Cup.

 

The championship was the fourth consecutive for the Mixers, who also won the title in the Governor's Cup of the 2012-2013 season against Petron Blaze. They then made their Grand Slam bid after beating Rain or Shine and Talk 'n Text in the succeeding Philippine Cup and Commissioner's Cup.

 

Shortly before PBA's 40th season started, the franchise changed its name back to Purefoods. The league presented them their Slam rings when they opened their conference against Alaska, but they just as soon fell by an ominous blowout to the Aces. The team made their exit in the quarterfinals as they struggled to find their winning form.

 

UP Fighting Maroons

 

Perennial cellar-dweller University of the Philippines made headlines on August 9 when it snapped a 27-game losing skid in UAAP men's basketball, defeating Adamson University.

 

Coming off yet another winless season, the Fighting Maroons were starving for a victory and preyed on the rebuilding Soaring Falcons. Mikee Reyes and JR Gallarza scored 28 and 24 points, respectively, to lead the charge for the Diliman-based squad.

 

The UP community celebrated as if the team won a title like in 1986 as team manager Dan Palami set up a simple bonfire celebration in the Sunken Garden as promised. The Maroons could not replicate the feat though, and finished the season with a 1-13 card as the Falcons came for revenge in the second round.

 

Gilas Pilipinas

 

Gilas Pilipinas fought toe-to-toe with international powerhouses in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. With their "puso" battle cry, the national team drew the admiration of basketball fans around the world as they gave Croatia, Argentina, and Puerto Rico a run for their money despite their size disadvantage.

 

Led by team captain Jimmy Alapag, the team then capped their run with a historic victory against Senegal in overtime, the country's first win in the world championships in 40 years. Gilas did not advance to the next round, but they were hailed as heroes for putting the country back in the basketball map.

 

With high morale following their successful World Cup stint, the team then targeted the gold medal in the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Gilas entered the best eight after splitting their games in the group stage against India and mighty Iran, but their quarterfinal woes started when they lost to Qatar.

 

Playing without naturalized center Marcus Douthit, who was benched by head coach Chot Reyes as a disciplinary action for his dispirited showing against Qatar, the team then lost a 97-95 heartbreaker to eventual champions South Korea. To advance to the semifinals, Gilas Pilipinas had to win by an 11-point margin against Kazakhstan to qualify with a higher quotient. After maintaining a double-digit lead until midway into the fourth, the team scrambled their margin and ended up winning the game by only two points, thus bowing out of the tournament.

 

Reyes came under fire from fans as the team wound up seventh place, the worst-ever finish by any Philippine team sent to the Asiad. Shortly after the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas created a selection committee to determine who will handle the coaching duties for the national team, Reyes withdrew his name from consideration.

 

NU and UP Pep Squads

 

National University earned its back-to-back championship in the UAAP Cheer Dance Competition with near perfect execution of its Pocahontas-themed routine on September 14. The title is NU's second in the CDC after dethroning powerhouse University of the Philippines last year, emerging as a new contender recently after poor showings in the past.

 

Despite settling for first runner-up yet again, UP Pep Squad made sure to leave an impact as they advocated for equality in their rainbow-themed routine. Male dancers showed off their cleavage, female dancers showed off their abs, and traditional gender roles were switched as the girls lifted the boys to the air.

 

NU and FEU men's basketball teams

 

The championship battle between the National University and the Far Eastern University in UAAP men's basketball marks the first time neither Ateneo or La Salle made it to the finals since the Final Four format was used in 1993. Some doubted if people were going to come and watch the series, but the promise of an entirely new finals match-up was enough for curious fans to flood the gates of Araneta Coliseum, with the turnout actually breaking the attendance record twice.

 

The No. 2 seed Tamaraws barged into the finals after a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Mac Belo against the Archers in Game 2 of the semis. Meanwhile, No. 4 seed Bulldogs erased the twice-to-beat advantage of the Kiefer Ravena-led Eagles in the semis.

 

NU, which hadn't beaten FEU in the eliminations, dropped Game One of the finals faced with the Tamaraws' sheer offensive power. NU coach Eric Altamirano, however, refused to believe that FEU is their kryptonite, and his wards went on to win the next two games with their team defense to win their first championship since 1954.

 

Daniel Caluag

 

Daniel Caluag saved the lackluster campaign of Team Philippines in the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea after bagging the country's sole gold medal when he won in BMX cycling. A veteran of the 2012 London Olympics, Caluag finished first in all of the races en route to the top of the podium.

 

Philippines' 150-man delegation brought home only 15 medals, with three silver and 11 bronze to add to the gold won by Caluag for a disappointing 22nd place finish.

 

Gab Moreno

 

Gabriel Moreno became the first Filipino in history to bag a gold medal in the Youth Olympic Games after winning in the international mixed team event in the archery tournament. Moreno, who ranked 30th out of 32 archers in the competition, partnered with China's Li Jiaman to achieve the milestone for the Philippines.

 

Manny Pacquiao

 

2014 was a year of redemption for Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao, who suffered bitter defeats in the hands of Mexican nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez and American boxer Timothy Bradley in his recent fights.

 

In April 12, the eight-division champion extracted revenge from Bradley who beat him via a controversial split decision the year before. Pacman made sure to clearly dominate the American boxer this time around, and his unanimous decision victory came as no surprise to everyone as he claimed back his WBO welterweight belt.

 

The Sarangani representative then dabbled in the PBA when he was tapped by expansion team Kia Sorento to be its head coach. Pacquiao also joined the rookie draft and selected himself, effectively making him a playing coach in the league. 

 

He played against Blackwater on opening night, which drew a 50,000-strong crowd in the Philippine Arena. Kia won thanks to the heroics of guard LA Revilla, but the audience were entertained by the Pacquiao's appearance in the game. The boxer then opted to sit out the other games to prepare for his upcoming bout with Chris Algieri on November 23 before coming back to play again against Meralco.

 

In Macau, Pacman sent the former kick boxer Algieri to the canvass six times in a dominant victory to prove that he still has what it takes to fight undefeated pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.

 

Talks began anew that the superfight would happen, with Pacquiao calling out Mayweather several times on television and on social media. After weeks of ambiguous taunting, the American finally voiced in clear terms his desire to face Pacquiao on the ring. Negotiations are currently ongoing to make the fight a reality for keen boxing fans.

 

Azkals

 

It was a year of ups and downs for the Azkals, scoring historic victories but falling short of winning championship titles. In May, the national team reached their first ever finals in the AFC Challenge Cup after a hotly contested semifinal against host nation Maldives. A Chris Greatwich goal handed the Azkals a 3-2 victory, their first against Maldives. The team, though, lost to Palestine 1-0 in the finals.

 

The Azkals then competed in the Peace Cup organized by the Philippine Football Federation, but lost the title in the home soil as Myanmar spoiled their bid with a 3-2 edge. Prior to the tournament, the team was rocked by the departure of Stephan Schrock and Dennis Cagara, who were unsatisfied with coach Thomas Dooley's decisions with the lineup of the team.

 

The team had another chance for glory at the Suzuki Cup, but fell short against powerhouse Thailand after returning to the semifinals via a historic first-ever win against Indonesia. The Azkals forced a scoreless draw in the first leg at home, but bowed to the War Elephants 3-0 in Bangkok to see their campaign come to an end. — JST, GMA News