Sportsfest in Bangus Festival

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

NO doubt that the city of Dagupan is the bangus capital of the world. Our government officials, then and now, are doing their utmost to promote this milkfish worldwide.

The city government even tried and was successful in breaking the world’s longest grill in 2004 for the Guinness Book of World Records until it was surpassed recently.

According to Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, this year’s chairperson for the Bangus Festival, the event will officially open on April 16 at 1:00 p.m. through the Gilon-Gilon ed Baley and the annual street dancing competition to be held at M.H. del Pilar street and A.B. Fernandez avenue, respectively.
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First time

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

THE first time a multi-stage bicycle road race was held in the country was in 1955. That was the Manila-Vigan run won by Sta. Rosa, Laguna son Antonio Arzala.

That event, organized by the late Atty. Geruncio Lacuesta, a native of Bayambang, also marked the birth of professional cycling in this country.

The following year, a bigger and more well-organized bikathon was staged, a week-long road battle called “Tour of Luzon.”

Again the sturdy rider Arzala topped the event. Local boy Rufino Gabot from Manaoag landed a close second.
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Respect the verdict

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

WE, the boxing aficionados, watched that colossal battle between our very own Manny Pacquiao against Mexico’s best Juan Manuel Marquez for the 130-pound World Boxing Council title fight.

We already know the result.

Although Pacquiao’s victory was not convincing, not clear, or questionable, Pacquiao is still the winner.

We have to respect the verdict of the three judges.

Because of that third round knockdown he scored, that made the big difference, as many said. Two of the three judges gave him a nod.
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Torn between my two “blood”

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

BY THE time you read this piece, I surmise that the much-touted and much-awaited Pacquiao-Marquez II world title fight may probably just about to start or in progress or could even be already over.

As I said before, my forecast is a victory for the Mexican world champ Juan Manuel Marquez by a decision.

But let me clarify that by picking Marquez to win, it doesn’t mean that I’m anti-Manny Pacquiao. It is that I just want to play the role of contravida this time. (And for being a villain, I was drowned out by an avalanche of bettors in my village who are pro-Paquiao. I’m not a gambler so I just accepted one, a friendly bet for a case of beer).
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Hectic Days

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

FOUR of the last five Sundays, I was vexed and exasperated due to the heavy workload preparing four cycling events, plus some basketball games that I covered and organized.

The latest was the much-awaited and touted Mangaldan bikefest dubbed as “Werweran” held last Sunday and the basketball Goodwill Games last Monday at Macario Ydia Development Center.

Both events were projects of Mayor Herminio A. Romero and the bike tilt was assisted by VM Pedro A. Surdilla, Jr., the town’s fiesta executive committee chairman, Dr. Demosthenis Ydia, Councilors Alberto Fabia, Johnny Valencia and this piece maker.
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My life in cycling and basketball

By Jesus A. Garcia

DURING the last three weeks, my attention was focused on basketball and cycling events.

As the race director of the cycling races conducted in the province over the last three Sundays, it had been my responsibility to make the road battles as successful as I possibly could. Had the events had turned into a flop, I would have been the principal person to be blamed. It is about command-responsibility, ‘ika nga.

I was deeply involved, too, in basketball being the sports consultant of the University of Pangasinan (UPang) whose high school and college players recently saw action in some big tournaments in the province and recently, in Cebu.
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Pangasinan athletes shine anew

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

LAST week I wrote about our victorious Pangasinan pedal pushers conquering two separate big races in the southern part of Luzon.

They were San Jacinto son Reynaldo Navarro and Mangaldan’s promising amateur star Ariel Flores clinching the annual one-day Tour de Calatagan in Batangas in a one-two fashion finish and Asingan  pride Baler Rabina ruling the yearly one day Tagaytay City Challenge.

Both events were run in the mountainous terrain of the provinces of Laguna, Cavite and Batangas.

Navarro received P10,000 plus P2,000 for capturing the ‘mountain king’  plum, Flores netting P8,000, and Ravina bagging P15,000.
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Pangasinan cyclists show strength again

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

I WAS not able to accompany our Pangasinan pedal-pushers when they traveled to the southern part of Luzon and participated in two big races in Calatagan, Batangas and Tagaytay City last Sunday and Tuesday, respectively.

Happily, our local riders proved once again to the Filipino people that they are premier in this two-wheeled sport by ruling the two separate events, the Tour de Calatagan and the Tagaytay City Challenge.
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Bold move

  By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

Two weeks ago, we printed here a petition letter handed to me by one of our national cycling team members, accusing their head coach, Jommel Lorenzo, of serious irregularities.

The letter was addressed to Bert Lina, the president of PhilCycling, the national governing body of cycling.

No need to elaborate because I believe you read that issue and is aware of the whole content.
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Referees’ accreditation starts in April

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

“NOBODY is accredited yet throughout the country as far as referees are concerned. We will start giving them accreditations this April if they pass the test and belong to a group recognized by Basketball Association of the Philippines-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas or BAP-SBP.”

Those were the words of Danny V. Soria, BAP-SBP Area 2 Head and the Regional Director of Cordillera Administrative Region during my chitchat with him last Sunday in San Fabian, before the start of the goodwill game between the University of Pangasinan Webczars and the Baguio City-based Cordillera Career Development Colleges.
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