Cebu Sports Hall of Fame Written by Nimrod NL Quiñones

By NIMROD NL QUIÑONES

Cebu has a very colorful sporting history that encouraged a group of sportsmen as well as the City of Cebu to establish the Cebu Sports Hall of Fame.

It was a casual discussion after a basketball tournament among a group of sports officials that led to the birth of this hall of Fame, which preceded the establishment of a Sports Hall of Fame by the national government.

The first group of honorees was enshrined in 1990 in ceremonies held at the Cebu City Public Library.

There were over 20 individuals who were accorded the honor including the late legendary boxer Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde.

Then, the qualifications to make it into the Cebu Sports Hall of Fame was for the nominee to be a native-born Cebuano, that he or she must have won honors in major international competitions, and that he or she must already be retired for the past five years.

As the years passed and more made it into the hall of fame, the screening committee decided that there are some sports personalities, who were not born in Cebu, but have made Cebu their home and made the Cebuanos proud of their feat.

Among the first to be enshrined as special honorees were basketball star Ramon Fernandez, boxing patron Antonio Aldguer, sports patron Michel Lhuillier, and football coach Graeme MacKinnon.

Former members of the Philippine team, who have won in the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, Olympics, and the now defunct Far Eastern Games were also recognized as well as sports legends in various disciplines.

As the years passed, the sportswriters who formed the original screening committee were also enshrined when they passed on and the number of nominees has been dwindling.

The last group was enshrined last February and this included the M. Lhuillier Football team that won the 1988 national men’s title, which was the only one won by Cebu.

Nominations for enshrinement into the Cebu Sports Hall of Fame are accepted year round by the Cebu City Sports Commission.  The next schedule of enshrinement will be during the Charter Week Celebration of Cebu City next month.

If you know of somebody who meets the following qualifications, please feel free to nominate: 1. a native-born Cebuano or has been based in Cebu, 2. won in a major international sporting event or is known as a legend in his or her sport, and 3. has been retired for at least five or years or has already passed on; please feel free to send email to nimrod@mozcom.com.

We would need proof of birth or residence, copies of newspaper or magazine articles, pictures, medals, trophies, and memorabilia that would be used in the deliberation of their nomination.

The players of the M. Lhuillier-Cebu team of 1988 join Mayor Mike Rama in unveiling their hall of fame plaque.

Players of the M. Lhuillier Team, which won the national men's football championship in 1988 pose with their plaque.

Tabletennis champion Federico Ybañez was one of those enhrined on February last year.

Cebu City officials join the most recent group that have been enshrined into the Sports Hall of Fame for a souvenir.

A relative of SEA Games volleyball gold medalist Maribel Rusiana watches as officials unveil the plaque.  Rusiana is now based in the United States.

If you want your sport or event featured on Full Point, please send email to nimrod@mozcom.com.