Sports Eye
Exasperating week
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
ORGANIZING a bicycle race and still cover a two-day basketball tourney within a week is much too hectic but it happened to me again last week, the second time in my life. And despite the seemingly endless exasperation doing both in the province, particularly the cycling event, I thank God everything proceeded smoothly with no untoward incident during the road battle. The bikefest, dubbed as the “Cong. Bataoil Cycling Challenge, Siklista Laban Sa Droga” organized by Pangasinan’s second district Rep. Leopoldo N. Bataoil, was won by Manaooag son Ericson Obosa.
On the other hand, the basketball event exclusively for young students (19 years old and below) was an undertaking of the country’s national basketball amateur governing body Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP). Organized by Pangasinan’s well-known coach Renato “Jack” Vidal and assisted by basketball trendy Seato Gonimil, the two-day cagefest dubbed “SBP National Junior Championship Area 2 Regional Elimination” held on November 25-26, was participated in by the best cagers from the Cordillera Region and Regions 1-3. Region 1 was represented by University of Luzon (UL). Luckily, the Junior Golden Tigers of Dagupan City alderman Chito Samson won the tilt in a convincing fashion, clobbering their two opponents, Guagua National College by 19 points, 102-83, and the University of Cordillera by 17 points, 116-99. And surprisingly, it was UL’s new recruit 17-year old Aljick Aquino of Mangaldan, son of my first cousin Alexander Aquino, who spearheaded the onslaught in both games pumping in a team high 22 points in the first game and a game high 26 points in the second and the championship bout. The victory earned the UL juniors the slot to represent Area 2 in the national junior championship slated in Iloilo City on December 6-12.
The basketball event went along smoothly too, despite an organization rivalry between two officiating groups, DEBRA and NARECOM. The cagefest was officiated by the DEBRA faction.
Good luck to you guys and keep up the good play. We know that the national game is the highest level tourney and we are hoping that you will bring home us honor, if not the title.
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I had a brief chitchat with Urdaneta City administrator Ronald San Juan the other day where he confirmed that two sports activities, boxing and cycling, will be staged on December 5 in conjunction with the celebration of their city fiesta. San Juan said the interschool boxing tournament will be held at the city’s central school 1 while the bike race will be run through a criterium system at the heart of the city. For your info, criterium is a French sports word only used in bike racing referring to a competition run through streets in the downtown area in a circuit manner. The length of every round should not exceed five kilometers. In Filipino cycling definition, ito ay karera sa kanto-kanto sa bayan.
While San Juan did not elaborate on the cycling event, my other source, Urdanetañan Winnie Baguio, the former Tour of Luzon and Marlboro Tour campaigner, told me that the bikefest will be conducted in five categories, namely the open, amateur, 31 to 40, 41-49 and the 50 years old and above.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Jesus said “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in the secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” MATTHEW 6: 5, 6, 7, and 8.
