Pressure

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

FIRST let me apologize if you missed sports stories last week as I took a leave from writing to sort out some problems, which are also related to sports.

For one, I had to work out my reinstatement (if possible) as one of the officials of the forthcoming multi-stage bikefest “LBC Ronda Pilipinas”, which will unfurl on September 24 in Cagayan de Oro City. My stint in this sports spectacle was derailed due to my work for the 2011 PRISAA-UCAAP Collegiate Basketball Championship, which unfortunately has come to naught due to some parasites in the league. (I will write a story on this probably next week or two weeks from now.)

Another thing is, my compadre Recah Trinidad and I are working together with the able assistance of his son Chino to get an accreditation pass for the press conference of the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez trilogy battle on November 13 (PHL time) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The presscon will be the first of the promotional tours of the two world boxing icons which will end in Mexico City, the birthplace of Marquez. The PUNCH colleague Jun Velasco and his partner Dennis Mojares of The Examiner, both boxing enthusiasts, will join us for the trip to Luneta where the presscon will be held. I met Marquez, nicknamed “Dinamita” in the boxing world, in November 2006, three times in McAllen and in Hidalgo, Texas. That was prior and after his fight with Cebuano Jimrex Jaca. I believe he would still remember me knowing that I was the only Filipino-Mexican writer who interviewed him during his training, presscon and the post-fight meeting presided by Golden Boy Promotions top honcho Oscar de la Hoya. Marquez then valiantly knocked out Jaca in the ninth round to retain his WBO featherweight title. I watched the fight live, courtesy of my brother Rolando Garcia, a police captain in Hidalgo county and my cousin Dagoberto Garcia Soto, together with my other younger brother Rogelio. That fight was so memorable for me because it was my first time to watch a world title fight. It was also shown here in the Philippines via delayed telecast, which I also watched twice on cable tv.

Further, pare Recah and I, with the help of my Cebuano cycling friend Joe Deresas, are also working out an accreditation to cover the Pinoy Pride VIII, Cebu’s new boxing blockbuster project to be staged on September 10 at Waterfront Hotel and Casino. It will be another Pinoys versus Chicanos encounter featuring Milan Melindo, the promising Jason Pagara, and little-known Genesis Servania on the Philippine side, and Francisco Rosas, Rosebel Montoya and Mario Macias of Mexico. Hopefully our trip will not go amiss.

I was also invited to attend the LBC Ronda Pilipinas tune-up race last August 27 at Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac but I had to decline due to the pressure of my various works that needed to be polished. The bikefest, dubbed “Race for Cory” in memory of the former president Corazon C. Aquino, pushed through despite the heavy rains. And regardless of the obstacle that the cyclists anticipated to encounter, the participants for the coming big race showed up and joined the rain-soaked road battle. My sources say the organizers did shorten the competition for the obvious reason of bad weather and conducted it within just 50 kilometers through a criterium way. There were three categories: the open-elite, executive and the amateur divisions. Our Pangasinan boys won some and lost some with Mangaldan youthful Pitaki rider Joshua Carino, 17, topping the amateur division, good for P3,000. Manaoag pride Ericson Obosa of the 7-Eleven squad came in third place in the open-elite division won by Ronnel Hualda of LPGMA team. My son Jazy placed third in the executive class and received P1,000. All top three finishers in each category received a beautiful glass trophy and all the top ten winners received cash awards too. For me, in every sports competition, it’s not only the money that is at stake, but it’s the recognition and pride that counts a lot. So let’s support our boys in the coming Tour. They are our province’s flag carriers in cycling, a sport that has already brought countless laurels to us.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “In every disaster, there’s a strong and big message from God.” – Congressman Leopoldo N. Bataoil.

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