My forecast was right By Jesus A. Garcia Jr. PRIOR to the Barrera-Marquez world title fight, I told a lot of people – my cumpadres Recah Trinidad, Alfonso Mendoza, Adonis Peralta, Angelito Gumarang, my Mexican kinsmen Rolando, Rogelio, Dagoberto, Pete, Jr., my Filipino kindred Jazy, Alex, Bhots, my friends Jun…

Pangasinan heroes, yesterday and tomorrow By Jesus A. Garcia Jr. UNKNOWN to many, especially the young ones, our beloved province of Pangasinan has already produced a lot of national and international sports celebrities, then and now. Forget about basketball and cycling, which this place is noted for producing numerous luminaries,…

Victor, the victor By Jesus A. Garcia Jr. 1996 Marlboro Tour winner Victor Espiritu added to his laurels on the same year by winning the very prestigious “Rookie of the Year” plum. He was the third cyclist in the history of Philippine multi-stage cycling racing to bag that feat. The…

Message from Houston, Texas By Jesus A. Garcia Jr. I RECEIVED an email last week from a fellow who is an avid reader of The PUNCH through our website. He is very much concerned about sports in Dagupan and his subject is about my article last February 11. His name…

Kudos By Jesus A. Garcia Jr. It was one unique and exceptional basketball event that was played last February 13 at the University of Pangasinan (UPang) gymnasium. The UPang players in the 70’s to 90’s, then popularly known as the Greyhounds, battled the current squad named the Webczars.          The…

The annals of Mangaldan bikefest By Jesus A. Garcia Jr. MARCH 14, 1974 was the day when the first Mangaldan town fiesta bikefest was held. It was a project of the late Mangaldan hizzoner sports fanatic Atty. Macario G. Ydia, exclusively participated in by Pangasinan cyclists and dubbed as the…

If San Fabian can, why can’t Dagupan City then? By Jesus A. Garcia Jr. THE municipality of San Fabian staged a prestigious, peculiar and unique basketball tournament last February 1-6. Prestigious because six giant teams from northern Luzon participated. Four were from Pangasinan: spearheaded by last year’s Pangasinan-PriSAA (Private School…

Unbecoming and afflicted with amnesia By Jesus A. Garcia Jr. We, the sports lovers, particularly the cycling buffs, knew that our very own Romeo Bonzo, the 1983 Marlboro Tour champion, already passed away. This was widely reported on TV, radio and in the national and local newspapers. His sudden death…

Adios amigo Romeo By Jesus A. Garcia Jr. BEFORE lunch on January 11, I was stunned and shocked after receiving a text message and a call from media colleague Freddie Fajardo of Aksyon Radio Pangasinan. He informed me that my friend and co-cyclist Romeo Bonzo, while riding his motorcycle, met…

Basketball fiasco By Jesus A. Garcia Jr. I WAS elated, proud and very grateful to two sports minded persons in my village (Buenlag, Mangaldan) who organized an inter-purok basketball tournament recently that received a big plaudit from my village mates, including this writer. The tandem, a certain Mr. Bengson and…