Ramon ‘El Presidente’ Fernandez, his wife Karla, and RSFSYD executive director Boobi Kintanar display the trophies during the launching of the El Presidente Cup golf tournament on Tuesday, May 23. | photo by Glendale Rosal.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — PBA legend Ramon Fernandez launches the inaugural “El Presidente Cup” golf tournament that will unfold on June 11, 2023, at the Liloan Golf & Leisure Estates, north Cebu.
Fernandez, a former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) commissioner aims to raise funds for his sports advocacy programs through the Ramon S. Fernandez Sports & Youth Development Foundation (RSFSYD).
The RSFYD aims to develop and strengthen grassroots and elite-level athletes.
The golf tournament was officially launched on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at a hotel near Cebu Business Park. Fernandez was joined by his wife Karla, and RSFSYD executive director Boobi Kintanar.
The tournament will serve as one of a series of fund-raising sports events Fernandez and the RSFSYD will be organizing in the coming months and years to fund their sports advocacies.
“Athletes, improve through competitions. Kulang tayo ng programa sa PSC, they only have Batang Pinoy, PNG, I really feel there should be a quarterly grassroots tournament in LGUS,” said Fernandez.
During his tenure as PSC Commissioner for Visayas during President Rodrigo Duterte’s term, Fernandez organized the PSC Children’s Games, the PSC Visayas Open, and the PSC-ABAP amateur boxing events.
These LGU-based meets catered to thousands of young athletes who were provided quality tournaments, to prepare them and help them hone their skills.
These events featured around a dozen carefully-selected sports, most of which are featured in the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG), Asian Games, and the Olympics.
“We have identified sports, criteria among gibuhat individual, weight category, and Olympic sports. Diha ta nagkulang, we can see it now in the results in SEA Games, Asian Games, and Olympics, that it’s the individual weight sports that win medals. Usa na sa atong buhaton ug organize, pero mag depende na sa funds coming in. That’s why we’re organizing this golf tournament to fund our sports program,” Fernandez explained.
The prize-rich golf tournament will follow a modified Stable Ford system in a par-72 golf course which Fernandez described as a young and technical course with narrow fairways.
Golfers from Luzon and Mindanao have already shown intent to compete, while basketball personalities such as Tonichi Yturri, Jojo Lastimosa, and businessman-golfer Noel Cariño, Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Remollo have already confirmed their participation.
Hole-in-one, par-3 prizes include brand-new cars, motorcycles, and cash. Exciting prizes are also up for grabs in the raffle draws. /rcg
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