Sports Eye
Long overdue
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
THE failure of our Philippine national cycling men’s team to win any medal in the just concluded 28th Southeast Asia Games (SEA) in Singapore is the worst performance that our nationals yet since we began participating in this biennial meet.
The debacle turned to be a big wake-up call to our cycling leaders. Latest report that I received from Judith Caringal of DZSR sports radio that our national cycling body PhilCycling has been persuaded to hold a national championship. It will be in Tagaytay City on June 27-28 in an attempt to add UCI points needed to qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
The debacle turned to be a big wake-up call to our cycling leaders. Latest report that I received from Judith Caringal of DZSR sports radio that our national cycling body PhilCycling has been persuaded to hold a national championship. It will be in Tagaytay City on June 27-28 in an attempt to add UCI points needed to qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
Yes, it is good move but long overdue. It was supposed to be done every year by former national cycling czars Atty. Geruncio Lacuesta and Dr. Francisco Almeda annually during their watch. But for still unknown reasons, it was discontinued by their successors. For years, our national leaders have been organizing teams through the turo-turo (point) system or the bata-bata scheme, totally unfair and undemocratic. No wonder, our country today is on the road to ignominy in overseas competitions. I saw for myself that our national cycling bets are not up to par in their performance in last SEA Games,. Clearly, PH boys have been overtaken by our Asian neighbors when we used to overwhelm them in the 60s, ‘80s and early 2000s.
Philippine cycling was born in 1955 under the headship of Lacuesta. Ten years later, our national team improved immensely in 1960s with Roberto Sanchez, Claudio Romeo, the Guavez brothers Rodolfo and Rolando and Manuel Reynante winning gold medals in track and road race Asian championships. We suffered a decline in 1970s. Our only bright spot in cycling was when I beat the two-time Asian road race champion Sutiyono (I forgot his first name) in the eight-day Tour of PICCA in 1977. We bounced back in 1983 when Bugallon-native, the late Edgardo Pagarigan won a silver medal in track event in Asian championship held in Manila. Two-time Tour champion Victor Espiritu won a bronze medal in the 1998 Asian Games road race held in Thailand. In 2001 our very own Arnel Quirimit of Pozorrubio won the silver in Asian road race final in Taoshiong, Taiwan. From 2001 to this day, PHL has been suffering from a medal drought in Asian battles.
Caringal also said that a 150-km mass-start road race and a 40-kmindividual-time-trial event will be held for our riders who will fight it out for the UCI points and the right to don the national colors in future international races. She said the UCI points to be earned in the national championships will be added to the current 83 points which put the Philippines in 9th place.
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Dr. Butch Ydia, an avid cycling buff from Mangaldan called my attention last week to correct my information that 2015 SEA Games gold medalist Marella Vania Salamat is from Bugallon, and not from Vigan City. In that case, we produced two gold medalists in the women’s division in this biennial meet, pioneered by Marites Bitbit of Malasiqui in 2007 SEA Games.
Mabuhay ka Marella! Your gold feat shows again that Pangasinan is really the hotbed of Philippine cycling.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” DEUTERONOMY 5: 16
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