Long-time sports journalist Chino Trinidad was on his way to a meeting in Pasay City when he suffered a heart attack.PHOTO/S: CHINO TRINIDAD (INSTAGRAM)
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Sports journalist Manolo "Chino" Trinidad has passed away.

This Sunday morning, July 14, 2024, when the news that the 56-year-old journalist had died began to spread on social media.

His daughter, Floresse Trinidad, confirmed the sad news to GMA News Online.

"Yes, we are very sad to share the news of his passing last night, July 13, 2024," was its brief statement in a text message.

The cause of Chino's death was a heart attack.

According to the report, he was on his way to the meeting to be held at Newport World Resorts, Pasay City, yesterday with several personalities, including the famous billiard champion Efren "Bata" Reyes.

Chino passed away at San Juan de Dios Hospital, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay.

Some of Chino's colleagues in the field of sports media immediately expressed sympathy and grief for those left behind by the sports personality.

SPORTS CASTING CAREER
Chino is the son of veteran sports columnist Recah Trinidad.

Chino first entered the industry in 1991 as a sports reporter on the radio.

At the same time, Chino became a sideline reporter and later a game commentator for the Philippine Basketball Association or PBA and boxing events.

It can be remembered that Chino also worked for a long time at GMA Network as a sports reporter. He left the company in 2023 after 23 years of being a Kapuso.

It is not clear what the reason for his departure was, but he exclaimed in an interview that appeared on the Politiko website, "My only wish, my only prayer is that it ended well and not in the way that it ended bitterly. "

In the interview, Chino briefly recalled how he ended up at GMA Network.

He said, "Mike Enriquez who passed away, joined the creator. Do you know how much I owe Mike Enriquez? You know [he] is the one who brought me to GMA in 2000 when he hired me to DZBB. And that started my career, it gave me life, gave me my family, gave me a platform for the last 23 years."

BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES CO-FOUNDER
Apart from his media career, Chino has also been busy with other things still related to sports.

He was the commissioner of the Philippine Basketball League from 2000 to 2010.

This May of the current year, Chino was appointed as commissioner of the Sharks Billiards Association, which is the country's first billiards professional league.

Another of Chino's contributions to local sports is being the co-founder of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas or SBP in 2006. It stands as the governing body of local basketball to strengthen the said sport especially in international competitions.