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Saturday, March 20, 2010

Iloilo Sports Achievers

Inocencia Solis


Francisco Guilledo popularly known as Pancho Villa


1920s
Pancho Villafirst Philippine World Boxing Champion gained from 1922 – 1925 



1930s
Rafael Navallasca of Miagao – national champion 100 – meter dash in 1935 and 1937 NISAA (National Interscholastic Athletic Association Meet now Palarong Pambansa)

Vicente Jaropillo - Lapaz, Iloilo City – famous national baseball pitcher

Josefina Ruiz – captain of the Philippine Volleyball Team to 1934 Far Eastern Games (now the Asian Games where the team emerged as the champion.

Cesar Montinola (native of Iloilo City but studied at San Beda College) – in 1937, swam for 17 hours from Paranaque to Las Pinas
- was the first recorded swimmer of Iloilo Strait (from Iloilo Port to Jordan, Guimaras)

Sgt. Gonzalo Penasales (native of Pototan, Iloilo) – team captain of the defending national champion: Iloilo Basketball Selection Team who went to Manila to defend the title in 1941 National Open Basketball Championship Games, but were aborted due to outbreak of war.


1950s and 1960s
Inocencia Solis (native of Sta. Barbara, Iloilo) – known at that time as “the fastest woman runner in Asia”; gold medalist in 100 meter dash in 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo

Haydee Coloso – reigned over the Second Asian Games garnering two gold medals in 100-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly earning her the title “the fleetest mermaid in Asia” in the 50s.
- she also participated in 4x100 m freestyle relay in 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan which her team was the gold medalist.

Mutya Tirol, Thelma Tirol, Aida Ardenas, Haydee Coloso - composed the swimming quartet of Iloilo City Colleges (University of Iloilo or UI now) that garnered national championship

Rafael Hechanova – hailed as the “1951 Mr. Basketball of the Year” by the Philippine Sportswriter Association.
- Led the Philippine Basketball Team to the Asian and Olympic Games

Aida Molinos - a national champion in running
Fidel Penaranda – has played in Tokyo Olympics in 1964


1970s
Nancy Deano (Dingle, Iloilo) – figured in national and international swimming competitions

Eugene Torre (Lapaz, Iloilo City) – hitched the Ilonggo’s passion for excellence to the heights when he was named “Asia’s first chess grandmaster”. First Asian to become a grandmaster in 1975 competition in Russia.

Rosendo Balinas – another Ilonggo who was the Asia’s Second Grandmaster next to Torre

Major Mariano Nava Jr. and Enriqueta Ledesma Nava – husband and wife team, both experts in Wimbledon course and also made a name in rifle and pistol marksmanship

Alfredo Tirador (Tigbauan, Iloilo) – was 1974 regional champion in Japan at Asian Games in wrestling

Barotac Nuevo – 1979 national champion in football during the National Cup Football Games under the patronage of Dr. Roland Padilla.

Mariano Araneta Jr. (Barotac Nuevo, recently the football center of the country) – dubbed as “Mr. Football of the Philippines”


1980s
Jimmy de la Torre (Pototan, Iloilo) – a student of Western Institute of Technology, garnered the gold medal in marathon race in 1981, 11th Southeast Asian Games or SEA Games in Manila setting a new SEAG record making him “the faster man in Asia”

Arlene Rodillado (Molo, Iloilo City) – student of University of San Agustin coed 100-meter air rifle range shooting, breaking the Philippine record

Percival Alger (native of Alimodian, Iloilo) – champion in SEA (Southeast Asian) & Asian Games Fencing

Recent Ilonggo Record breakers:
1. Julio Bescuer – javelin throw, Palarong Pambansa (National Games), 1989 in Lucena City, Quezon Province
2. Policornia Balobo – 1,500 & 3000 meter run Palarong Pambansa, 1990 in San Fernando, Pampanga
3. Marife Suangue – won five golds in Palarong Pambansa, 1990, San Fernando, Pampanga and the outstanding Western Visayas athlete with the most medal and record breaker in 200 and 400 meter run in the same games
4. Magdalena Gencianeo – 100 meter run Palarong Pambansa, Lucena City, Quezon Province
5. Juvilyn Fernandez – discus throw Palarong Pambansa, 1990

Herman Suizo – gold medalist marathon, 1989 SEA Games, Philippine record holder in 42.196 km. marathon

Judy Joy Pasaporte – champion women’s division, 1991 Philippine Airlines Manila Marathon

William Magahin – 1990 Philippine Lightweight boxing champion


Other noted Ilonggos:
Ernesto M. Gorantes - cyclist
Pedro T. Favila – sprinter
Policornia A. Balobo – sprinter
Naro Cabrera - swimming


Nora E. Deslate – former master teacher from Jaro National High School is a walkathon champion

Martin Soriano (Molo, Iloilo City) – conquered the “Three Seas” : Visayas Sea (from Negros to Ajuy); Guimaras Strait (from Guimaras to Negros) and Iloilo Strait, (Iloilo to Jordan, Guimaras)

Professional players: Yves Dignadice, Ferdinand “Bong” Ravena, and Tony Boy “Weng –weng” Espinosa – all from Iloilo have made their names as Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) players

Ferdinand “Bong” Ravena – participated 13th Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand from December 6-20 as their team garnered bronze medal after powerhouse China & South Korea

Barotac Nuevo – garnered the national championship in football in 1998

Sta. Barbara National High School (Sta. Barbara, Iloilo) – garnered national championship in football in 1999.

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