Jimwell Torion | Contributed photos
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former PBA star Jimwell Torion will oversee the basketball program of the soon-to-be-launched “Sports for All” advocacy of former Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz.
Ruiz has officially announced that he will be launching a comprehensive and city-wide sports program in March as part of his “Sports for All” advocacy.
This was simultaneously announced with his intention to run for mayor in Cebu City mayor in next year’s election.
And there’s no better sports personality to handle his sports program than Torion, a well-known ex-PBA cager who hasn’t been in the spotlight in the local basketball scene.
Torion who will turn 51 on March 13, became popular with stints with the Red Bull Barakos, Sta. Lucia Realtors and Air21 Express before calling it a career in 2007.
He averaged 7.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 254 games and earned the moniker “Tora-Tora” for his tenacity on the court.
Like most basketball programs, Torion will teach kids across the 80 barangays in Cebu City how to properly shoot, dribble, pass, and rebound a basketball, along with relevant drills starting in March.
According to Ruiz his sports program will serve as a catalyst to drive the youth away from drugs and vices and will be one of his main programs when he becomes mayor of Cebu City.
Ruiz is also a former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Visayas (PDEA-7) regional director.
“The main objective of this initiative is to introduce sports to the youth, get them interested, and eventually keep them away from bad vices,” said Ruiz, the first Cebuano commissioner of the Bureau of Customs.
“It is my personal conviction that if our officials want to make an impact on the lives of their constituents, sports, being an effective community-builder, must be integrated into their platform of governance.”
Meanwhile, Torion is thankful for the opportunity given to him to share his expertise on the hard court.
“Pasalamat ko ni Sir Yogi kay nakahinumdum siya nako,” said Torion.
“Kanang pag-train sa mga bata, damgo na nako ug matuman na gyud. Ako ning linya ug nangandoy gyud ko nga makahatag og legacy sa natad sa basketball.”
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