Another first time in the field of sports
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
ANOTHER first time happened recently in the field of sports when two young unheralded Calasiao sisters from barangay Nagsaing won in the 2023 National Open Cycling Championships held on June 27-30 in Tagaytay City.
The elder Wenizah Vinoya, 17, took the gold medal in the 100-kilometer junior division road event and defeated defending champion Kim Bonilla of Nueva Ecija in a mad-dash to the finish. Her younger sister Jazmine Vinoya, 15, won the silver medal in the 10-kilometer individual-time-trial event in the youth category. Yes, this is the first time in our province to see two cycling sisters bringing honors to us Pangasinenses but first and foremost in the booming town Calasiao, now under the leadership of the town’s chief executive Kevin Roy Macanlalay.
I doff my hat to them. On learning of the triumphs of the two lasses, Mayor Macanlalay was quick to give them a recognition award last Monday (July 3) after the Monday morning flag ceremony. My son Jazy and I witnessed the affair. The good-looking and well-dressed chief executive Macanlalay said that an incentive for the two riders will be given soon.
Admittedly, unlike my town Mangaldan, Manaoag, Mapandan, San Jacinto, Basista, Lingayen, Sual, Binalonan, Pozorrubio, Villasis and Umingan that already produced 20 national Tour champions, Calasiao is not so well-known in cycling but I believe the triumphs of the two will inspire more Calasiaoeños to follow their footsteps.
Calasiao, already produced a basketball national team member that competed in the 1968 and 1972 Olympic Games, the late 6’3” Orlando “Orly” Bauzon. Orly was once the head coach of the Pangasinan Waves quintet owned by Bani-born Tim Orbos in the now defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA). I was the team commissioner.
“There’s always first time in life,” as the axiom says. It is inevitable especially in sports activities. Our boxing treasure Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao emerged as one of the international respected sports icons after more than half century since boxing was born. He turned out to be the only boxer in this planet that won eight world boxing diadems from flyweight (112 lbs) up to super welterweight (154 lbs) divisions! It was the first time in the universe and this still stands.
It also happened in the field of cycling, the well-known Tour de France (TdF). After 102 years of racing (except during the second world war), U.S. professional cyclist Lance Armstrong took the limelight by winning the TdF a record of seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005. First time to happen since TdF was born in 1903. Unfortunately, Armstrong was stripped all of his tiaras after a thorough investigation found that he used artificial enhancing performance drugs during his TdF races and was eventually suspended for life. It was the first time to happen in the TdF, considered as the oldest, longest, toughest, richest, and the most prestigious multi-stage bicycle race in the world.
In our national side, pole vault is not a Filipino’s choice sports until Tondo-born Ernest James “EJ” Obiena came to world attention when he erased his own Asian record with a career-best six-meter vault, his very first time in many tries which he executed last month in Norway. He now ranks third best in the world, Landing 11th place during the last Tokyo Olympics, the 6’2” Obiena eventually gained a slot for the 2024 Paris Olympics by vaulting 5.82 meters in the qualifying event held last July 2 in Stockholm, Sweden to land second after 2021 Tokyo Olympics winner and world record-holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden. The 2024 Paris Olympic will be Obiena’s second Olympic stint.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” JOHN 3: 36
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