Sports Eye
Pangasinan’s best 9 in 2014 Ronda
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
FIRSTLY, my heartfelt condolence to the Orbos family for losing their beloved mother Mrs. Concepcion Munoz Orbos last January 25. Born in San Carlos City, she was the wife of the late former Bureau of Customs deputy commissioner Guillermo Orbos of Bani and the mother of former DOTC and executive secretary Oscar Orbos, Melita, Father Jerry, Thelma and Tim, the youngest and the owner of the defunct MBA’s Pangasinan Presidents that I once belonged to. I first met Tia Conching during the OO Na Takbo Na five-day Tour of Pangasinan in January 1995 which was sponsored by his son Oscar (fondly called OO) who was then the congressman of the First District of Pangasinan and later became the governor of our province in 1995 to 1998.
She was always a jolly and accommodating individual, very energetic who always took care of our food during those memorable days, especially when we would visit the former governor’s office at the Urduja building. A former teacher, Tia Conching was also a sports fanatic who loved cycling and basketball like her children, particularly OO and Tim. No wonder she reached 92 years of age, which very few people today could attain in this air-polluted generation. May she rest in peace.
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By the time you read this piece, the 2014 Ronda Pilipinas 14-day bikathon is already in progress. And despite our province’s absence this year (first time since 1956) in team competition, our best bets are still there but have been farmed out to different commercial teams. They will race against the best in the country and from other nations. Spearheaded by the aging three-time Tour champion Santy Barnachea of Umingan, the others are 2012 Le Tour de Filipinas king Baler Ravina of Asingan, last year’s third placer, the rising-star 21 year-old Ronald Oranza of Villasis, my town mate and last season’s fifth finisher 22 year-old Joshua Carino, 19 year-old newly- discovered Mark Julius Bordeos of Laoac, Harvey Sicam, Edmond Nicolas and Alfie Catalan of San Manuel and Mark Julius Bonzo of Sual. Sicam is the nephew of Marlboro Tour back-to back (1981-1982) winner Jacinto Sicam while Bonzo is the son of 1983 Marlboro Tour titleholder the late Romeo Bonzo. They will be competing against the defending champion, a former Pitaki Boyz member, Irish Valenzuela of Daraga, Albay and 2012 Ronda champ and 2013 SEA Games gold medalist Mark Galedo, including cyclists from Holland, Japan, Taipei, Malaysia, Thailand and Uzbekistan led by reigning Asian king Muradian Halmuratov. We will all see them on February 8 during the seventh stage 182-kilometer flat trek from Tarlac City to Dagupan City via some towns of Nueva Ecija and the eighth leg from Dagupan to Baguio City via Kennon road the following day. The annual bikathon has total cash prizes of almost P8 million. “Sana nga hindi itakbo ng mga dayuhan ang mga major prizes gaya ng ginawa nila sa Le Tour de Filipinas except in 2012,” said Melvin Bautista, a cycling fanatic from Mangaldan. Let’s wait and see. More on these next week.
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As of this writing (Friday), my reliable source tells me that our Pangasinan team, the defending champion in the Batang Pinoy National Games 3-on-3 basketball (high school boys), were not so superior this time in the games held in Bacolod City. The secondary boys already suffered two setbacks with three wins and were booted out for the gold medal race. Our provincial squad defeated Naga City, 10-7, and Iloilo City, 19-13, before succumbing to Zamboanga, 14-17, last Wednesday. They rebounded on Thursday by beating Cebu, 8-5, but lost to Laguna (Friday) 11-16. My source also said that they will battle for the bronze medal on Saturday, that’s if they win against Bacolod on Friday at 5 p.m. But the girls division (high school) are on a bright note, winning their five outings consecutively sans loss, so far. They luckily nipped Laguna, 14-13, during their initial game and ripped Bataan, 13-7 on Wednesday. The girls also tamed Bacolod, 11-8, and clobbered Negros Occidental, 14-4, on Thursday and Cebu on Friday, 17-11, and imminently in good course for the gold medal quest. As I always say, their win is also our victory and that of our governor, Amado Espino Jr. So let’s always pray for their success. Two members of the two Pangasinan squads (high school boys and girls) are from my place (Buenlag, Mangaldan) named Patrick Carino Mina and Aidy Habacon Molina and both members of the Pitaki group.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. JOHN 5: 19-20
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