Sports Eye
Zambales sojourn
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
FOR three days, I was in Zambales to iron out final details of the forthcoming cycling and boxing tournaments, both to be held on February 21 at San Marcelino town. The two sports events are the first salvo for the celebration of the town fiesta that will last till February 28. These sports affairs are joint projects of two sports-minded fellows: the former DND and DPWH secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. and the town’s chief executive Jose F. Rodriguez. Of course, it is in coordination with the Sangguniang Bayan members headed by Vice Mayor Irene D. Canlas and Mrs. Virginia B. Fulgueras, the hermana mayor for this year’s festivities.
Our group was composed of Fil-Am Albert Poore, Arnel Sanchez (both cycling leaders of Zambales), my nephew Audie Bacolor of Olongapo and my cousin Armando Lalata. We were cordially received by the municipal officials led by veem Canlas, former Mayor Lydia Rodriguez (wife of the mayor) and secretary to the mayor Onie Romano. The boxing tourney, which will be exclusively for San Marcelino folks, will be the first of its kind since the birth of the town. It will be sanctioned by the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP), the national governing body, and under the supervision of ABAP region 1 representative Dante de Castro. All winners (and even losers) of both events will receive cash prizes, trophies and medals.
The cycling event will be under the directorship of Poore and Sanchez while I will be the executive race director, my first time in this position. Promoted ako ‘ika nga. Yes, less effort and less stress.
The pedal-by-pedal account of this event will be aired live from start to finish over LITE FM Radio 106.7 Khz based in San Antonio town, eight kilometers away from the host municipality. It will be done in three categories, namely: class A for 16 to 29 years old, class B for 30 to 49 years old, and class C for 50 years old and above. Pangasinan will be fielding two riders in each category. Results of these two events will be printed here after the event.
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Because of that Zambales sojourn, I missed the second game of the best-of-three championship series between AIE-College and PAMMA of the First Jimmy Fernandez Basketball Championship held last February 9 at DWAD gym. My reliable source Renato ‘Jack” Vidal, one of the organizers of the said tourney informed me that AIE-College won, 84-76, to avenge their first match defeat and forced a rubber match to be staged on February 17 at the same venue at 3:30 pm. Third place went to University of Luzon Team B. I will report on the final results next week.
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Kudos to our local cyclist Baler Ravina of Asingan who topped the 30-kilometer Pugo, La Union-Baguio City race held recently and participated in by our country’s cycling superstars. Joel Calderon of Guimba, Nueva Ecija, the 2009 Padyak Pinoy champ, came in second while Pitaki Boyz stalwart Irish Valenzuela landed third while 2009 Tour of Luzon titlist John Mark Guevarra finished fourth. Sherwin Carrera of San Fabian and Renato Sembrano of Mangaldan placed fifth and sixth, respectively. The bikefest was in conjunction in the celebration of the 2010 Baguio City Panagbenga Festival. An all-amateur event in a similar format is in the offing and tentatively scheduled on February 26. I was asked by the sponsor to direct the race. Confirmation will be made on Feb. 15. More details on this in the next issue.
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