TOYOTA in TOKYO Olympics
TOYOTA has proven once more that it is not only into motoring business but in sports development as well. Thus, I salute Toyota for sponsoring athletes to the Tokyo Olympics. This is huge, even as the world’s No. 1 automaker has tossed in a massive $1 billion in support of the quadrennial Games. This is another proof of the automaker’s commitment to also solidly side with humanity’s goal for excellence, solidarity and perfection through the power of sports.
Calling its gritty squad as “Global Team Toyota,” the company has 11 athletes from Asia competing in both the Summer Games from July 23 to Aug. 8 and the Paralympics from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5. They come from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
The car giant calls its first ever global corporate sports initiative as “Start Your Impossible” journey, encouraging their Olympic bets “to achieve their sporting goals and realize their dreams.”
Toyota’s Olympics bets are Indonesian Marcus Fernaldi Gideon in badminton, Singapore’s Joseph Schooling in swimming and Thailand’s Panipak
Wongpattanakit in taekwondo.
In the Paralympics, Toyota is supporting Filipino swimmer Ernie Gawilan, together with India’s Kumar Saroha in discus throw, Indonesia’s Ni Nengah Widasih powerlifting, Malaysia’s Abdul Latif Romly long jump, Singapore’s Toh Wei Soong and Sophie Soon swimming, Thailand’s Anchaya Ketkaew swimming and Vietnam’s Nguyen Thanh Trung swimming.
Said COO Hao Tien of Toyota Motor Asia Pacific to Toyota’s Olympics bets:
“Thank you for inspiring us with your ‘Start Your Impossible’ journey in your communities in Asia through your hero projects, which is in line with Toyota’s core belief that if is when you are free to move, then anything is possible. It is when communities are inspired to come together to overcome social, economic and physical hurdles, that there can be transformation.”
It’s thinking-out-of-the-box paradigm that separates the real from the unreal.
Vios Cup Results
THE Vios Cup returned recently with its new name, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Cup. It was streamed via Toyota’s social media accounts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some 24 autocross racers and 24 circuit racers involving pro drivers, celebrities, influencers and media members competed in various classes.
The leaders:
Promotional Class: 1. Maila Alivia, 2. Jiro Garbes, 3. Julia Delos Angeles. Sporting Class: 1. Inigo Anton, 2. Julian Tang, 3. Joaquin Garrido.
Super Sporting Class: 1. Estefano Rivera
2. Gerard Loy 3. Red Diwa. Promotional Class 2: 1. Troy Montero,
2. Maila Alivia, 3. Jason Lao. Sporting Class 2: 1. Julian Tang, 2. Joaquin Garrido, 3. Inigo Anton. Super Sporting Class 2: 1. Gerard Loy,
2. Red Diwa, 3. Estefano Rivera. Promotional Class 3: 1. Jiro Grabes, 2. Fabio Ide, 3. Royce Sarmiento. Sporting Class 3: 1. Inigo Anton, 2. Jacob Ang, 3. Julian Tang.
Super Sporting Class 4: 1.Gerard Loy, 2. Bryan Co, 3. Marc Soong. Autocross Challenge: 1. Alex Diaz, 2. John Manalo, 3. Jules Aquino. Media Division: 1. Jose Altoveros, 2. Ian Magbanua, 3. Inigo Roces.
PEE STOP
When Onyok Velasco won the boxing silver in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, a car company (Nissan?) gave him a car. Will that also happen to Hidilyn Diaz? She outperformed Onyok, who became a comedian afterwards. Hidilyn’s weightlifting gold medal was historic: a first ever victory for the country since our first Olympic stint in the 1924 Paris Games. An SUV for her would be more like it?