Month of September in sports history
BY EDDIE G. ALINEA
HAD they been alive today, both Czech Olympian Emil Zatopek and American professional old last Tuesday, September 19. Both were born in the year 1922.
Zatopek, winner of three gold medals inthe1952 Summer Games in Helsinki, and Pep (Guglielmo Papaleo in real life), were two of at least more than a dozen sports legends born in the third week of this month of September.
The list also includes present day greats Serena Williams and NBA player/coach Steve Kerr, ex-NBA commissioner David Stern, baseball manager Tom Lasorda, NBA coaches Arnoild “Red” Auerbach and Hubie Brown, NBA Hall of Famers Bob McAdoo and Scottie Pippen football strikers Ronaldo (Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima in real life) and Paolo Rossi and boxer Azumh Nelson. baseball slugger Rffael Palermo among others.
Born in Koprivnice, Czech Republic, Zatopek emerged the only man to rule the 5,000-meer and 10,000-meter runs as well as the marathon in the Helsinki Games.
Along with wife Dana Zatovkova, the couple, up to this day, is the on only husband and wife tandem to win gold medals in one staging of the quadrennial conclave known also as the “Greatest Sports Show Earth.”
Zatopek, who died November 22, 2000, was once the world’s best loved athlete. His peers in the long distance running still consider him the greatest Olympic champion of all-time.
Williams, born September 26, 1981 was the No. 1 Women’s Tennis Association ranked singles from 2002 to 2017 staying on top of the standing for 1,86 consecutive weeks, tying the players and sports writers consider her as the greatest female tennis player of all- time. On April 19, 2017, she announced her temporary leave from tennis because of pregnancy.
Pep held the world featherweight crown twice between 1947 and 1950 amassing a record total of 1,956 rounds in the 241 bouts during his 26year career, a considerable number of rounds and was 229–11–1 with 65 knockouts.
Kerr (September 27, 1965) is the current head coach of reigning NBA champion Golden State American tennis superstar Serena Williams in Manila. Warriors. A seven-time NBA ring winner—three with the Chicago Bulls and two with the San Antonio Spurs as a player.
Kerr owns the highest career three-point percentage (45.4%) for any player with at least 250 three pointers made in NBA history. He married Margot Kerr, his college sweetheart, in 1990.
Stern became Commissioner in 1984, succeeding Larry O’Brien. He is credited with increasing the popularity of the NBA in the 1990s and 2000s. He step down as NBA commissioner on February 1, 2014, 30 years to the day after beginning his tenure as commissioner.
His deputy, Adam Silver, succeeded him. On February 14, 2014, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Stern would be a member of its 2014 induction class. Two years later he became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame.
McAdoo (September 25, 1951) played for 14 and named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 1975. He won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s.
McAdoo played at the center and power forward positions. Aftr retiring from ghe NBA, he Basket Serie A in Italy. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. McAdoo is one of the few players who have won both NBA and the FIBA European Championship.
Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz and FilAmerican Eric Cray missed out on winning gold medals in their respective events as the two settled with silver medals in the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) Tuesday night at the Ashgabat Olympic Complex here.
Diaz had a total of 204 points to place second behind China’s Liao Qiuyun (208) from the combined snatch, and clean and jerk in the 53kg category. Turkmenistan’s Kristina Skermetova settled for bronze (196).
“Kayakopapala,” said the 26-yearold native of Zamboanga City.
“Sabikongaayokona,gustokona mag- give up kasinahirapanakomagdisiplina,” said Diaz. “Perohindidin akonag- give up… kayakopala,napatunayankonakayakopa,walasa age.”
“Hindidahilnanalokanahindi kanapwedengbumalikpa,pwede papala,” Diaz added.
60m run as he clocked 6.63 seconds, behind the 6.55 seconds of reigning champion Hassan Taftian of Iran. Iran’s Reza Ghasemi got the bronze (6.64).
Long jumper Janry Ubas missed out a podium finish as he placed fourth (7.40m) behind gold medalist Nguyen Tien Trong of Vietnam ( 7.48m), Amila Pedige of India (7.45m) and Chan Ming Tai of Hong Kong (7.44m).
In taekwondo, Kristie Elaine Alora and Kristopher Robert Uy settled for bronze medals after losing in the Svetlana Osipova (16-8), while Uy to China’s Liu Jintao (27-10).
Diaz was already down three points after her best score of 90 kilos out of three attempts in snatch to Liao’s 93. The two lifted similar weights of 110 kilos to start the clean and jerk.
Diaz failed to lift 114 kilos in her first attempt in the clean and jerk but was able to eventually carry the attempt. Her rival from China lifted 115 kilos on her second attempt to win the gold.
“Nakitakonasiyasa China Weightlifting Games nila, siya‘yung said Diaz. “Pare-parehaslangsilang malakas (China)… parehaslangkami namalakas, (but) sabuhatkokanina konting adjustment lang.”
In women’s tennis, Anna Patrimonio and Khim Iglupas are playing in the second round at press time.
Patrimonio is up against Aldila Sutjiadi of Indonesia after beating Tuvalu’s Saintly Molotii, 6-1, 6-0, in Thailand’s Chompoothip Jundakate after her 6-0, 6-1 win over Fiji’s Vienna Kumar also last Monday.
In the men’s singles, Jason Patrom Uzbekistan’s Farrukh Dustov, 7- 5, 6-2. Patrombon will still see action in the mixed event with Iglupas, who will likewise team up with Patrimonio with women’s doubles.
All Filipinos got wiped out in belt wrestling at the Main Indoor Stadium.
These include Joseph Angana (70kg freestyle), Michael Carter (55kg classic), Jonathan Maquilan (65kg classic), Grace Loberanes (50kg classic), Noemi Tener (60kg classic) and Chris Hofmann Jr. (90kg free).