Veteran sports journalist Manolo “Chino” Trinidad passed away late Saturday, July 13, due to cardiac arrest. He was 56.
The commissioner of the defunct Philippine Basketball League, Trinidad also served as PBA commentator, boxing analyst, and columnist in a colorful career as he tried to follow the footsteps of his father, the revered Recah Trinidad.
He started as a sideline reporter for Vintage Television from 1993 to 1995 before being tasked as a play-by-play commentator not only on basketball games, but also on boxing matches like Blow-by-Blow.
A true-blue sports journalist, Trinidad practically died with his boots on. He was on the way to interview billiards legend Efren “Bata” Reyes at the Resorts World when he breathed his last – a victim of massive heart attack.
“That says it all. True journalist through and through,” said Rep. Mikee Romero, whose team built a dynasty in the PBL under Trinidad’s watch.
Trinidad served as PBL commissioner from 2000 to 2010, then moved back to the television industry as GMA’s sports correspondent, covering boxing, most notably Manny Pacquiao fights, and other events that bordered from human interest stories to multi-sports tournaments.
After resigning in GMA, he founded Pilipinas HD, a free-to-air channel that broadcasts cultural programming.
He also led “Pagpupugay” in 2014, a tribute to Filipino sports heroes that eventually got a minor citation from the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards in 2015.
He touched so many lives, particularly the small ones who dreamed to become big someday, reason why he was one of the well-loved sports personalities. A tribute is being arranged by former PBL teams under his time.
