“Pagpupugay” exhibit honors Pinoy sports greats

Resorts World Mall in Pasay is usually a place reserved for games of chance. But until June 15, the games we love as sports fans take centerstage along with the Filipino sporting legends of the last one hundred years.

“Pagpupugay” is an exhibit that is the brainchild of sports commentator Chino Trinidad. Running the full length of the main corridor on the first floor of Resorts World, it offers a dazzling review of over a century of Filipino sporting excellence.

There's a video loop on one end of the display with pictures and video of the likes of Efren Reyes, Manny Pacquiao, and Paulino Alcantara, the Filipino-Spanish proto-Azkal who was once Barcelona's all-time leading scorer. There's a huge, long banner with more Pinoy greats as well as info on their exploits.

But it's in the collection of memorabilia where Pagpupugay really shines.

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You can gawk at Lydia de Vega's tracksuit, golfer Ben Arda's clubs, and there is even a singlet from the Philippines' 1954 World Championship team that finished third in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

If it was up to me, Gilas Pilipinas would wear a throwback version of this kit in Spain for at least a few games.

The ball used in the 1954 tournament is also on show. It looks like an old football more than anything else.

Boxer Anthony Villanueva's silver medal from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics is also there. Anthony Suntay, who happened to be there at the same time, told me that Villanueva recently died in poverty in the province, sustained by a small government pension that was used to buy medicines in his final days.

Track and field legend Elma Muros' medals are also available for viewing.

The collection of newspaper clippings and old photographs is also so revealing. There's a shot of the Philippine Basketball team playing in the Olympics before the war. The match is outdoors, on a tennis court, and the spectators are using umbrellas because it's raining.

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There are all sorts of clippings about Ben Arda during his halcyon days, when he was one of Asia's best golfers. They include one of his victory in the Dunlop Open in Japan and another where he shoots his third 68 in a tournament.

Pagpupugay also features oil paintings by Alfred Galvez, I presume commissioned for this display since they have been painted this year. Caloy Loyzaga, Arda, Arianne Cerdena, Paeng Nepomuceno all gaze from their frames in chiaroscuro glory.

One of the highlights of the exhibit is a sculpture showing Loyzaga scrambling for a loose ball. It's like a giant figurine toy.

Pacquiao has special pride of place. There are two paintings of him, including one doing situps on an incline, his feet tucked inside rope.

Pagpupugay has very few omissions. If Ben Arda is mentioned, then other greats like Golem Silverio and Celestino Tugot could have been included.

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The late Freddie Deen III, the great Cebuano darter who was one of the best in the world at one point, deserves a mention. It's a pity that his sport is not very popular here.

For me, the exploits of last year's Gilas team deserve a spot here. Sure it was just last year when they qualified for the World Cup, but that achievement ranks right up there with all the others. Some of those Gilas players are, however, part of a hoops collage in one panel.

My reaction to Pagpupugay was similar to the one I had when I checked out the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame. The eyes did get a bit misty at the sight of these inspirational figures. There was pride, no doubt, but also sadness.

The Philippines is losing the sporting battle to other wealthier nations. Arda was once one of Asia's best on the links. Now relatively few Pinoy golfers can compete at the upper echelons of Asian golf. Where is the successor to Felecisimo Ampon, the great tennis star?

Efren Reyes is still relevant in the pool world but his combination of charisma and world-beating skills has yet to be replicated. And his sport is declining here and abroad.

Medal hauls in the SEA Games and the Asian games continue to sag.

As the clippings yellow even further, the photos fade, and the memories leach out of the brain cells, I wonder aloud if Philippine sports' best days are behind us.

But Trinidad's exhibit is vitally important because it's not just a glance back, but it can be a look forward. Even if it inspires one young Filipino athlete on the road to sporting greatness, then “Pagpupugay” is a success.

Filipino sports has a glittering past. It deserves a glorious future as well.

The event runs until June 15. There is a special event on Thursday, June 12, Independence day at the exhibit called "Gabi ng Pagpupugay."

Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.