Sports Eye

Bikefest with Bataoil’s backing

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

UNLESS the preparation hits some unavoidable snags, the bikefest, which I conceptualized more than a month ago, will finally come into reality on December 16, two days before my natal day.

This road race, dubbed as the “RD Gen. Bataoil-Jesus Garcia Cup”, is a joint project of this columnist with PNP Region 1 Director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil, a native of Lingayen, as main backer.

This is the first of its kind in the province out of all the races that I organized and directed since March 14, 1974.

The event will be run in two categories, the elite and the master-executive, with a maximum of 70 participants exclusively for Pangasinan riders led by 2006 Padyak Pinoy champion Santy Barnachea, with former RP national members Ericson Obosa, Renato Sembrano, Enrique Domingo, Reynaldo Navarro and Sherwin Carrera.

It will start and end at my hometown Mangaldan, partly traversing some municipalities of the 3rd District, all the towns of the 2nd District including Sual and Alaminos City in the western part of the province with an approximate distance of 200 kilometers.

Of course, big cash prizes, trophies and medals are at stake in each category.

This writer and the good general initiated this project principally aimed to show to the people that cycling is one of the best sports for achieving a healthy heart and mind.

Bataoil said this is the best – if not the main – way for a massive campaign to curb or at least minimize the drug menace that is affecting our society, especially the youth.

“Our youth is the hope of this land and this event is for them in particular. I wish and hope that if possible the NGOs and LGUs, especially the towns’ SK federations including the PNP can join hands to help the development of our young ones for their future,” said Bataoil.

“I believe that through sports and education we could achieve the battle cry of PGMA which is Matatag na Republika,” he added.

The project is also being supported by some big names in the province, spearheaded by Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr., University of Pangasinan Chairman of the Board Cesar T. Duque, Pangasinan PNP PD Atty/SSupt. Isagani R. Nerez, Dagupan City Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr., Municipal Mayors Herminio Romero of Mangaldan, Reynaldo Velasco of Sta. Barbara, Rolando Columbres of San Jacinto, DPWH 2nd Engineering District Director Rodolfo Dion, 4th District Board Members Jeremy Agerico Rosario and Liberato Villegas, well-known philanthropist Ashok Vassandani and my cumpadre Mangaldan ABC President Melchor de Guzman.

My friends and relatives from abroad also promised to give their assistance led by San Carlean now Houston-based Blandino Caguioa, Mapandanian Rey Corpuz from Hawaii, my brothers-in-law Mangaldanons Charles Evans and Felipe Movida, Jr. from Long Beach, California and Guam, respectively, and my only cycling child Jazy, also from Guam.

Jazy just planed in from Guam last Tuesday to participate in the master-executive category, which is for 40 years old and above.

I’m working on an arrangement so that the wheel-by-wheel account will be aired live over Aksyon Radio Pangasinan at 1161 Khz AM, to add more color to the race.

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