Rasheed Wallace goes to Detroit p.37
Baby Lancers invited in PBA-backed tourney p.34
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n JOBANNIE C. TABADA Editor
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2004
SPLASH, SPLASH
Cebu City nat’l. swim tilt starts today; hundreds to compete
CEBUANA MERMAID. Larissa Ang (top) of Cebu and about 300 other swimmers from various clubs in the country take a dip into the Cebu City Sports Center pool for the two-day event. (SUN.STAR FOTO/ALEX BADAYOS)
ASIANRAMPAGE
BY CHRISTIAN B. RODRIGUEZ Sun.Star Staff Reporter
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LIGAN City swimmers are out to invade Cebu City as they compete with an estimated 40 tankers – the biggest outof-town delegation – in the 1 st Cebu City National Swimming Championships, which kicks off at 8 a.m. today at the Cebu City Sports Center.
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In one of the highlights of the event, Cebu City’s Arnold Balais and veteran coach Lando Sanchez make up Cebu’s contingent in the differently-abled division, which drew 11 swimmers from Iligan. Iligan made its delegation stronger after three swim clubs – Aquatics Sports, Iligan Swim and Dive Association (Ida) – combined forces to be known as the Iligan City Swim Team. Cebu City, however, will still be a force to reckon with as 55 swimmers from different local clubs will be seeing action. Bag-ong Ozamiznon Swimming Team, which has 18 swimmers, is also one of the seeded teams, along with newcomer Coastland Davao Swim Club, which is fielding 11 tankers. P. 34
Deaf golfer, unmindful ‘Smiling Assassin’ strikes of storm, creeps in front KUALA LUMPUR – South Koreas Lee Sung-man, who was born deaf, stormed into the joint clubhouse lead with Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand in the weather-disrupted $1.21 million Carlsberg Malaysian Open yesterday. The 24-year-old Lee fired a four-under-par 68 at Saujana Golf and Country Club to set the pace in Asias richest national Open with a two-day total of seven-under-par 137. Thaworn, a three-time winner in Asia, carded a roller-coaster 67 in a round that included nine birdies. A tropical storm swept across Saujanas Palm Course at 3:50 p.m., later forcing DEAF AND tournament officials to suspend play GOOD. Lee Sungfor the rest of the day. man’s seven-underAll the afternoon session players par 137 leads the will return tomorrow at 8 a.m. (0000 $1.2 million event. (AFP FOTO) GMT) to complete their rounds, with the third round scheduled to start at approximately 11:45 a.m. Scotsman Colin Montgomerie, who struggled with heat exhaustion for an opening 73 on Thursday, battled back into the frame, moving to five-under par for his second round before play was halted. He knocked in three birdies on the front nine and then went birdie, eagle soon after a bogey on 11 before the rain came. (AFP)
LOS ANGELES – For Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama playing in the Nissan Open is a homecoming of sorts. The 34-year-old Maruyama lives in the nearby suburb of Westwood and is a member of the Riviera Country Club, the site of this week’s PGA event. “I usually play this course because I live 15 minutes away,” said Maruyama, who shot a seven-under 64 yesterday to grab a share of the lead in the first round of the $4.8 million Nissan Open. “I don’t usually play well here, but since last week I have been playing very well.” Nicknamed the ‘Smiling Assassin’, Maruyama moved to Westwood four years ago. The Chiba native says his neighborhood is popular with Japanese expatriates. Tiger Woods, playing in just his third tournament this year, opened with a one-over 72 and is tied for 80th. The Riviera tournament is the only event Woods has played at least five times without winning. Woods took 32 putts and hit 13 of 18 fairways yesterday. (AFP)
MARUYAMA. The ‘Smiling Assassin’ is feeling comfortable. (AFP FOTO)