Sports Eye
Pangasinan athletes’ standing plummets
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
I BELIEVE year 2013 is not so lucky for us as far as our athletes in national competitions are concerned.
Sports like cycling, considered as one of the favorite games of Pangasinenses, obviously declined this year after losing the Le Tour de Filipinas diadem which was won last year by Baler Ravina of Asingan.
Yes, we just finished third, fourth and fifth in this year’s Ronda Pilipinas 16-day bikefest, landed by Ronald Oranza of Villasis, Santy Barnachea of Umingan and El Joshua Cariño of Mangaldan, respectively. For the second straight year after Barnachea in 2010, our husky cyclists were not successful in seizing the coveted tiara. Ditto to our Region 1 students-athletes during this year’s Palarong Pambansa held in Dumaguete City, Negros Occidental, landing eighth overall out of 17 regions.
I can sense that obviously something is something woefully wrong in our sports development. What is crystal-clear, it’s not the slip-up of the provincial government but definitely the fault of our region’s DepEd. Our region’s students-athletes were under the DepEd guidance and care in developing their sporting skills and I don’t know why a big place like Pangasinan, considered as the third biggest province in the country, cannot ever win a national crown in the Palarong Pambansa or the PRISAA National Games.
I repeat, there’s really something off beam in the development of our athletes and the DepEd top officials should find out what are those hindrances that need to be addressed. And I believe the only remedy here is the planned Sports Academy of Gov. Amado Espino. Hopefully it will push through.
The Sports Academy is a grandiose concept and huge money will be involved but I can easily picture here without any doubt that the prize would be a tremendous improvement of our local bets. Hopefully the big project pushes through before the sports-minded Gov. Espino ends his term in 2016. Mabuhay po kayo governor and my heartfelt congratulations for being re-elected as governor of our beloved province. Keep up the good work, sir.
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I’m extending my big congrats to our mayor-elect Bonafe de Vera Parayno. Yes, likewise to our new veem Engr. Manny Casupang and councilors-elect Atty. Pedro Surdilla, Jr., Joel Meneses, Teresita Abalos, Robert “Boy” Frialde Jr., Bernabe Cervas, Arthur “Leo” Fabia, Manny Cabrera and Alfredo “Kap” Soriano. Hopefully my town’s new top officials will continue to support our sports development program that was founded by the late mayor Atty. Macario G. Ydia. Mabuhay din kayo.
Also to my daughter Raisa, SK chairperson of my village Buenlag, for successfully holding the 2013 Buenlag SK Inter-Purok Basketball Tournament won by Ivler team. The tourney was under the aegis of Buenlag council led by our sports-minded Punong Barangay Melchor D. de Guzman. Mabuhay din po kayo.
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By the time you read this piece I might be already in Cebu City to watch the Pilipino Pride XX Laban Kung Laban boxing events to be held at the Pacific Grand Ballroom at Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Lahug, Cebu City featuring the dreaded Filipino fighter Jason “El Niño” Pagara vs Mexican Aaron “La Joya” Herrera.
Supporting main events are Genesis “Azukal” Servaña against Isaac Junior of Indonesia and Cebuano Jimrex Jaca whom I met in McAllen, Texas in November 2006 to battle another Mexican ring warrior Jose Emilio Perea.
Stories of these fights will be printed here next week.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demos in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side.” MARK 9: 38-40
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