Sports Eye

The Espino bikefest

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

IT’S summer time again and as in the past we are experiencing a heat wave. There have already been reports of people suffering from heat strokes, some were fatal cases. But believe it or not, the cyclists who participated in the Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. Cup on May 2 took on the heat well and despite the scorching temperature during the race, most finished the event with much gusto. Yes, they are already somehow immune to this kind of weather.

It was Manaoag son Ericson Obosa who emerged as the strongest of them all, defying all odds to win the grueling and lung-busting 205-kilometer race by a bike length against fellow veteran and international rider Arnel Quirimit from Pozorrubio.

It was the sports-minded Gov. Espino himself who flagged off the contestants at exactly 9 a.m. after delivering his inspirational speech. The event was contested by 48 riders with all the superstars in Pangasinan cycling showing up except Baler Ravina of Asingan. Reports reached me that Ravina, the 2007 Padyak Pinoy first runner-up, deliberately skipped the event due to a commitment with his wife-to-be. But he promised to join the next Pangasinan event, which would most likely be the San Quintin town fiesta road race temporarily slated on May 31.

The road battle was very successful with no untoward incident taking place, thanks to the Lord and to Our Lady of Manaoag. And also my big thanks to Gov. Espino for initiating and organizing the project together with provincial administrator Raffy Baraan and provincial sports coordinator Modesto Operania.

Likewise my gratitude to my cumpadre Al S. Mendoza for writing about the event and pushing for its publication in almost all our national newspapers, and to my other cumpadre Recah Trinidad of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I hope and I wish there will be more to come during the Pista’y Dayat celebration every year.

And thanks again to Engr. Rodolfo “Boy” Dion of the 2nd Engineering District Office based in Lingayen and to First District BM Teofilo Humilde, Jr. for giving special summit sprint prizes at Suasalito in Sual and in barangay Tagudin in Mabini, respectively.

Mabuhay kayong lahat, mga ginoo.

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Our Region 1 athletes are now in Dapitan City in Zamboanga del Norte to do battle against the best in this year’s Palarong Pambansa. Thanks again to Gov. Espino for accommodating our regional athletes during their eight days of intensive training at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center in Lingayen. Our regional team members are mostly from our province after having been the champions of this year’s Region 1 Athletic Association meet. Hopefully our delegation will improve this time in medal gathering, especially the gold. My best wishes.

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As of this writing (Friday), our Pangasinan cyclists are competing with the best of Ilocandia in the LBC Ronda Tour qualifying race being held in Tarlac province. Ric Rodriguez, the chief coordinator of the event, said two teams for Pangasinan (Central and East) and one team for Ilocandia with nine members each will join the 12-day race scheduled to start on the last week of September. Rodriguez said my son Jazy will be actively involved in this coming multi-stage bikefest to supervise the performances of our Pangasinan boys.  Good luck.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and all in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, Who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Acts 1: 7-11

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