UNIVERSITY OF CEBU star center Junemar Fajardo has been tabbed to carry the flag of the Philippine delegation during the opening ceremonies of the 26th Summer Universiade 2011, which will be held in Shenzhen, China on Aug. 12.
The 6-foot-10 center is the reigning MVP of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. and is also the cornerstone of the Philippine squad that will compete in the basketball event of the 24-nation tournament, which features the top university athletes around the world. Also, the Pinamungahan-native powered the UC Webmasters to the 2009 National Students Basketball Championship.
Joining Fajardo on the 11-man Philippine squad to be mentored by UC head coach Roehl Gomez are Luigi Bercede, Robinson Mohammad, Kirby Hans Cabrera, Kim Gomez, Kelvin Juliane, Quinton Brian Heruela, Gerald Joseph Ampoon, Jan Michael Auditor, Krist Edward Pao and Archie Batua. The Philippines is bracketed with 2009 runner-up Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Japan and New Zealand in Pool C.
In Pool A are host China, Germany, Romania, Brazil, Czech Republic and the United Arab Emirates.
Making up Pool B are defending champion Serbia, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Republic of South Africa and Hong Kong.
In Pool D are 2009 third-placer USA, Israel, Finland, Korea, Hungary and Mexico.
OTHER SPORTS
In addition to men’s basketball, the country is also sending athletes and officials in archery with team leader Jimmy Ang; athletics with team leader Edward Dizon; beach volleyball with team leaders Alex Sembrabo and Tisha Abundo; badminton with its team leader Su Hung Kiong; chess with team leader Thomas Espina; swimming with team leaders Nikki Coseteng, Dr. Marie Susan Benasa, and Susan Papa; table tennis with team leader William Aw; and taekwondo. Team leaders for men’s basketball are Senator Antonio Trillanes, Antonio Yap Chin, Lorenzo Sy, Felix Tiukinhoy and lawyer Baldomero Estenzo.
More than 13,000 athletes, coaches and officials from a record-setting 188 countries will attend the Shenzhen Universiade, which will be held from Aug. 12 to 23.
The city of Shenzhen, whose weather will be just as hot as in Manila on August, spent two billion yuan ($304 million) to build 41 new sporting venues for this year’s games. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio