TWENTY EIGHT athletes mostly retired and four sports leaders will be the subject of mural paintings at the Baguio athletic bowl starting on the third week of this month.
Two bronze medalists in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a former world boxing champion, the only Baguio resident to do so will have their faces painted on a seven by 14 feet concrete “canvas”.
Former Philippine wushu – sanda players Mairane Mariano and Benjie Rivera and former World Boxing Association junior welterweight champion Rolando Cruz will be among the 12 faces to be painted on the said walls of the long dugout at the Baguio athletic bowl.
Gladys Labsan will finally finish the painting on said walls which now has six sports legends and heroes led by former three time Olympian Hector Begeo (athletics).
Labsan has also painted the faces of former two time Olympian and the late judoka Jerry Dino, former Southeast Asian Games javelin queen Erlinda Lavandia, former world title contender Rey Tam and present national athletes Divine Wally (wushu sanda) and Jeordan Dominguez (taekwondo – poomsae).
Now she gets to finish the paintings on the walls of the dugouts with former two time SEAGames marathon queen Christabel Martes; Jearome Calica, 2001 SEAGames wushu sanda and 2019 muay Thai waikru gold medal winner; three time world karate champion Julian Chees; former Asian bodybuilding champion Samuel Ayochok, and, bodybuilding legend Nicasio Domalsin, Sr.
Sports patrons and leaders to be “inducted” to the wall of fame are University of Baguio founder Fernando Bautista, Jr.; former Gintong Alay camp director and councilor Narciso Padilla, who authored the athletes incentive; former Philippine Track and Field Association Cordillera director and Philippine Volleyball Federation president Pedro Mendoza, who was also Baguio City Colleges/University of the Cordilleras athletic director; and Tony Candelaria, president of the Philippine Wushu Federation – Baguio Cordillera and mentor of wushu players including Team Lakay’s Mark Sangiao and Eduard Folayang, among others.
Labsan will be joined anew by Harold Banario, who made the Heroes: Team Lakay mural also found at the sports complex.
Banario will paint mostly martial artists and will be at another portion of the athletic bowl. Banario will have Team Lakay member Jean Claude Saclag, Asian Games silver medalist and 2019 SEAG gold medalist for kickboxing; former Team Lakay and SEAG gold medal winner for wushu sanda Mark Eddiva; former SEAG gold medal winner for wushu sanda Rhea Rifani; former SEAG gold medal winner for judo Helen Dawa as well as cousins Sharon and Roland Dino; former three time world muay Thai champion Brent Velasco; former SEAG boxing gold medalist Alice Kate Aparri; former SEAG medal winner for karate Rey Hilario; and, karate fifth dan holder and instructor Edgar Kapawen.
Ged Alangui is the new member of the Heroes group of artist as he is expected to paint on the walls the faces of wushu taolu great Daniel Parantac; archer Kareel Meer Hongitan; chess International Master Haridas Pascua; car racers Carlos and Inigo Anton; professional golfer Mars Pucay; volleyball player Majoy Baron; basketball players Gerardo Verzosa and Douglas Kramer. Both players saw action for Ateneo de Manila University and won crowns with the former Benguet Electric Cooperative general manager as finals most valuable player.
The event will have its formal launching on October 19 at 10:19:21 in the morning with executives from the Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights as special guests and city leaders.
