March 15 (Thursday)
The Annual Ping-pong Tournament dubbed as Rector’s Cup came to an end tonight with the championship games in singles and doubles. Athletic minded student-priests and cheerful OP Sisters with the presence of the Father Rector and Father Spiritual Director enlivened the San Lorenzo Hall where the Finals took place. The championship match - single between Fr. Greg Gaston (known this tournament as El Santito) and Fr. Dodong Billones (the Bamboo) was an exchange of speed and magic serves, an exchange of frustrating sighs or grunts (tenor? or bass?) and holy silence and subdued smile at unforced errors. It was a very exciting match that reached until the fifth set. And the champion for this year in single … Fr. Greg Gaston (3-2)!
At the break, before the championship match in doubles began, Msgr. Stude Santos gave a brief remarks regarding the tournament with his two T’s – Thanks to the Sports Chairman, Fr. Nemer Chua, to the players who tried their best, to God; and Tayo magkikita muli next year’s winter Olympics. The pair of Fr. Nonoy Billanes and Fr. Oscar Cadayona was given a name “Golden Kittens” since both came from UST Central Seminary, Manila and the pair of Fr. Dodong Billones and Fr. Bong Fuentes was “Blue Mayas” because they came from Ateneo-San Jose Seminary, Manila. The cheers of the audience (the Dominican Sisters, Tomasinos, and the Angelics for the Golden Kittens and the Josefinos and the Gregorians for the Blue Mayas) brought the intensity of the game to a higher level. There were again the magic serves of Fr. Dodong and the sudden punch of Fr. Bong. The combination was marvelous. But the quick reflexes of a professional player in Fr. Noi and the patient return of Fr. Oscar made the difference and “turned the table upside down.” As a result, the Golden Kittens won the championship (3-1) and the audience whooped it up as the last ball returned and landed not on the table but on the feet of the legendary ping-pong player of PCF, Fr. Noi Billanes! (Having finished his studies in scriptures, Fr. Noi Billanes is set to go back to the Philippines on March 28, 2007).
The Annual Ping-pong Tournament dubbed as Rector’s Cup came to an end tonight with the championship games in singles and doubles. Athletic minded student-priests and cheerful OP Sisters with the presence of the Father Rector and Father Spiritual Director enlivened the San Lorenzo Hall where the Finals took place. The championship match - single between Fr. Greg Gaston (known this tournament as El Santito) and Fr. Dodong Billones (the Bamboo) was an exchange of speed and magic serves, an exchange of frustrating sighs or grunts (tenor? or bass?) and holy silence and subdued smile at unforced errors. It was a very exciting match that reached until the fifth set. And the champion for this year in single … Fr. Greg Gaston (3-2)!
At the break, before the championship match in doubles began, Msgr. Stude Santos gave a brief remarks regarding the tournament with his two T’s – Thanks to the Sports Chairman, Fr. Nemer Chua, to the players who tried their best, to God; and Tayo magkikita muli next year’s winter Olympics. The pair of Fr. Nonoy Billanes and Fr. Oscar Cadayona was given a name “Golden Kittens” since both came from UST Central Seminary, Manila and the pair of Fr. Dodong Billones and Fr. Bong Fuentes was “Blue Mayas” because they came from Ateneo-San Jose Seminary, Manila. The cheers of the audience (the Dominican Sisters, Tomasinos, and the Angelics for the Golden Kittens and the Josefinos and the Gregorians for the Blue Mayas) brought the intensity of the game to a higher level. There were again the magic serves of Fr. Dodong and the sudden punch of Fr. Bong. The combination was marvelous. But the quick reflexes of a professional player in Fr. Noi and the patient return of Fr. Oscar made the difference and “turned the table upside down.” As a result, the Golden Kittens won the championship (3-1) and the audience whooped it up as the last ball returned and landed not on the table but on the feet of the legendary ping-pong player of PCF, Fr. Noi Billanes! (Having finished his studies in scriptures, Fr. Noi Billanes is set to go back to the Philippines on March 28, 2007).
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