Tour of Mindanao in the offing

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

ARNEL Quirimit, the 2003 Tour Pilipinas king, texted me a few days ago saying a multi-stage Tour of Mindanao bicycle road race will be held in the last week of August or first week of September. It’s being organized by Joe Deresas, a former cyclist from Cebu and my cycling contemporary in the 1970s.

Since Quirimit’s report was quite sketchy, I called Deresas to confirm the planned event and luckily was able to talk to him briefly as he was in a meeting with the sponsors of the race. He was happy to say that our Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will sponsor the first of six stages that will commence at Pacquiao’s hometown, Gen. Santos City.

Deresas, who was the organizer of last year’s Tour of Visayas which was won by our own Baler Ravina of Asingan, also said that at least a group of 12 teams are expected to participate with five members to compose each squad.

As I’m writing this piece on July 25, Deresas said the prizes, the fixed route and the total distance are still being finalized. Complete details should be ready by next week.

Deresas also said after this year’s Tour of Mindanao, a Luzon summer race will be staged next year (ala Tour of Luzon) with the same sponsors but he declined to name the companies. He just hinted that it includes companies manufacturing pain killer, alcohol and oil liniment as among the major backers of the event.

My son Jazy’s group called Pitaki Boyz is fiel-ding two strong teams which will be sponsored by Jazy Sportswear-Beacon. Jazy said his team A will be composed of Quirimit of Pozorrubio as the skipper, Merculio Ramos, Jr. of Binalonan/Tarlac City, Sherwin Carrera of San Fabian, Reynaldo Navarro of San Jacinto and Renato Sembrano of Mangaldan.

Team B will be made up of Ericson Obosa of Manaoag as the captain, Renier Clauna of Bugallon, Ariel Flores, Rex Carino and Adrian Malanum all from my town Mangaldan.

Except Flores, Carino and Malanum, the seven are all ex-members of the RP team.

I don’t know if there are other Pangasinan squads that will enter the event. As you know the months of August and September is a recession period, so it’s crunch time.

Like in the Tour of Mindanao in 1977 which I won convincingly, the travel costs for this year’s event will be at the expense of a team’s sponsor but the rest will be handled by the host, including the food and the accommodations.

Deresas also said he will hire me to be the race commissaire.

Yes, if the price is right, ‘ika nga.

* * * *

It’s not only the Alaminos City lass Melanie Hope Douglas who won a gold medal in the just concluded 2nd World Taekwondo Culture Expo held at Jeollabuk-do, South Korea. Mangaldan Mayor Herminio A. Romero said two of his young constituents, namely Catherine Kaye C. Tandingan and Lee Angelo Ariston, both 11 years of age and students of Santo Tomas Catholic School also won one gold medal each in sparring and poomsae competitions in their respective categories. The duo is under the tutelage of Joseph C. Eden of De Fox Taekwondo Club of Mangaldan.

Big congratulations to these three athletes. Pangasinenses should be proud of you.

* * * *

Kudos also to Bonuan Gueset barangay chairman Angel C. Gumarang for being appointed as the new commissioner of the 2008 PRISAA Pangasinan-Dagupan Inter-Collegiate Basketball Tournament. Gumarang is also a recipient of the Most Outstanding Punong Barangay and Exemplary Public Servant of the Philippines awarded by the Manila-based Press Media Affair during ceremonies held last week at Manila Hotel.

Keep up the good work.

* * * *

The 2008 Tour de France will be finished today, July 27, not July 20 as what was printed on last week issue. It was a typographical error. Sorry.

(Readers may reach columnist at biking.jess@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/sports-eye/
For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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