Sports Eye
Happy and sad
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
SPORTS s aficionados in the province especially our province’s chief executive, the sports-minded Gov. Amado “Pogi” I. Espino, III as well as the management staff of the Pangasinan Sports Development and Management Council headed by chief executive officer Modesto Operaña and Marlon Domalanta, were so elated to know that our kabaleyan Ronald Oranza of Villasis, won the 12-day 2018 Ronda Pilipinas bikathon that concluded last March 18.
Yes, so happy that after two years of waiting since Santy Barnachea of Umingan, conquered the tough Ronda in 2015, we proved once again to our nation that this beloved province is incontestably the premier breeding ground of Philippine cycling, then and until now. Oranza, 25, is now in the long list of Pangasinan cycling champions, and the first during the first two-years of Gov. Pogi’s administration. The lanky five-foot-nine Oranza is the 20th Pangasinense to win a multi-stage (Tour) cycling marathon in the country which was first won by Rufino Gabot of Manaoag in 1957 Tour of Luzon.
Metro Manila is in very far second enlisting only four titlists namely, the late Manuel Reynante, three-time Tour champ, Manuel Buenaventura, Mark Galedo and back-to-back Ronda winner (2016-2017) and Jan Paul Morales who finished second to Oranza this year. Cebu province placed third having had three winners namely, Rodrigo Abaquita, Jose Moring, Jr. (both deceased) and Rolando Pagnanawon. Unknown perhaps to many is the fact that only Pangasinan produced the first and the only holder of four-time Tour titles in the Philippines in the person of my godson Barnachea. He broke my record three triumphs. We should be proud of that, too. My survey says cycling is still our number two favorite sport in the province, after basketball. Latest report that I received, Oranza will be given a Recognition Award by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on April 5, Pangasinan Day.
* * * *
That’s the good news, unfortunately there’s also bad news in the field of cycling this week.
Yes, my dear readers and sports followers. I was saddened to know early morning of March 21 from a friend and cycling colleague Rudy del Rosario of Lingayen that one of our province cycling heroes, the 1985 Marlboro Tour champion Pepito Calip of Binalonan and a retired PNP officer, was gunned down by two unidentified assassins last March 19 in front of his house in Barangay Linmansangan. He eventually succumbed in a hospital in Urdaneta while being treated. According to the radio report, the motive is still being determined (as of this writing March 22) by the Binalonan PNP.
Calip, 61, who’s like a brother to me, snatched the coveted annual national Tour crown from my town mate and then defending champion Mangaldan ace Ruben Cariño who finished second. Calip, despite using a high-tensioned bike with alloy gadgets during the 1985 Marlboro Tour (racing bikes are now made of lighter carbon fiber frames with titanium accessories) still holds the record of being the fastest cyclist to pedal from barangay Saytan junction in Rosario, La Union to Burnham Park in Baguio City (36 kilometers) via Kennon Road in 1985 with an amazing time of one hour, 15 minutes and 47 seconds that catapulted him to win the tiara.
Goodbye my friend and my idol, Pep. We’ll never ever forget the honor you gave our beloved province. May God rest your soul in peace.
Yes, I have mixed emotion these days between Oranza’s triumph Calip’s untimely and unjust demise.
* * * *
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 TIMOTHY 4: 7
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
