SYDNEY—As I was saying, I am here again 15 years after my coverage of the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics. Naturally back then, I was with veteran sportswriters like the irreplaceable Ding Marcelo of the Manila Bulletin and famous sports photographers like the multiawarded Ernie Sarmiento. I was the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s sports editor then and Ernie the paper’s chief photographer. Ernie and I have retired from the Inquirer and have moved on to, well, “greener pastures”—if you know what I mean.
This is actually my fourth trip here beginning 1985 and, this time, I am with motoring big shots, such as Demosthenes “Bobby” Rosales. Bobby, of course, is an almost indispensable top gun at Asian Carmakers Corp. (ACC), which is the Philippines’s exclusive importer/distributor of BMW. Bobby came here with, among others, ACC’s Karl Magsuci, Bobong Santos and Tomas C. Alvarez (TCA).
Nephew-uncle tandem Bobong and TCA are more than ACC moguls, with TCA a.k.a. Boss Tom, the elder brother of ACC owner Pepito Alvarez; the distinguished Pepito also owns the Kia and Peugeot franchises in the Philippines (not to mention Mahindra), besides being the distinguished governor of Palawan—and he is a bosom buddy of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, no less.
Mainly, Karl is “mother hen” to Chino Raymundo, Ruel de Castro and Kaila Gardiola, the BMW Philippine bets to the ongoing, prestige-laden BMW World Cup International World Final 2014 that has officially drawn 43 countries, which ends on March 7. Kaila, entered in the Ladies Division and whose exploits are needed in the team-country competition in the three-day event, received an added lift when her Mom, Judie, arrived a day before the battle began. Judie is also a golfer, who is threatening to join the BMW Philippines Qualifying last November in a bid to duplicate her daughter’s historic feat here. No previous BMW winner is allowed to defend the crown, in effect denying Kaila a chance to win a second straight BMW Philippines title last November.
Onboard the X5 on our way on Tuesday to the New South Wales, the beautiful BMW Golf battleground built in 1926 atop a hill overlooking Botany Bay of the Pacific Ocean, TCA said of the policy: “I think the rule needs reviewing. What if the defending champion buys a new BMW just so he or she could play again and proceeds to win the tournament anew?”
As Bobong, whose family owns a thriving travel agency in one of the family’s several business entities, fell silent to his uncle’s discourse, Bobby said: “Sir, it is a policy devised by our mother BMW company in Germany.”
“From strictly a business point of view, I believe the policy must be revised,” TCA said. “Aren’t we in the business of selling BMWs?”
Anyways, it is not all golf for the nearly 200 players and BMW delegates. Also scheduled in the seven-day journey are side events like the Harbour Bridge climb near the world-famed Opera House, a city tour that includes the tourist-favorite Bondi Beach, a trip to Taronga Zoo, a visit to the stunning Blue Mountains National Park, a Sydney sailing experience and, of course, a BMW driving experience.
Thus far, after three days here, I feel I got somehow transported back to the 2000 Sydney Olympics—although the city has virtually become unrecognizable to me, what with too many skyscrapers now and faces belonging to various nationalities.
Has this country of such world celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman and, of course, Mel Gibson also joined the unstoppable march into what, the unknown?
Anyways, this city, the state capital of New South Wales, has undergone massive changes that I have yet to find Chinatown, my favorite haunt in 2000 where I slurped on vintage noodle soup after a hard day’s work at various Olympic venues. Considered today as the most populous city in Australia with 4.6 million inhabitants, this major Aussie hub is located on the east coast of the continent and is the biggest city in Australia.
OK, you want some more Oz geography? Australia’s landmass of 7,617,930 sqm. is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Dubbed the “island continent,” it is the world’s largest island. Referred to colloquially as Oz since the early 20th century, Aussie is also a common term for Australian. Some 92 percent of its roughly 24 million inhabitants are European cognate and only seven percent Chinese. The majority of Australians are Christians, 2.5 percent are Buddhists and 2.2 percent Muslims.
With its 755 species, Australia has the most number of reptiles of any country. Its forests are mostly made up of evergreen species, particularly eucalyptus trees in the less arid regions, wattles replace them in drier regions and deserts as the most dominant species.
Among the well-known Australian animals are the platypus, echidna, kangaroo, koala and wombat. The birds emu and kookaburra abound. Beer’s the favorite drink? Easy, easy.
Pee stop On record, the BMW World Golf Cup is now the world’s biggest amateur golf tournament as thousands worldwide join the yearly affair in the hopes of earning one of only three slots to the tournament that began in 2000. Last year, the BMW World Golf Cup was held in Phuket, Thailand, after its stint in George, South Africa in 2012. BMW Philippines won its only title in 2002.