MANILA, 17 January 2003 — Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) Chairman Jaime A. Dilag has announced that the horse racing industry hit record-breaking sales of 6.08 billion pesos for the year 2002.
Dilag said this reflects a significant 15 percent increase over the 2001 sales of 5.9 billion pesos.
On Dec. 29 alone, the last racing day of the year, sales at the Santa Ana Park of the Philippine Racing Club hit a record high of 46.3 million pesos for the 14-race day.
The 170,8 million pesos sales during that week was the highest yet attained in the history of horse racing. Total share remitted to the government by Philracom reached 1.02 billion pesos. Dilag attributed this achievement to the full and solid support of the different racing organizations and the patronage of the aficionados. Philracom received congratulatory messages for this feat from various sectors, including well-known businessman and horseowner Norberto Quisumbing, Jr. With this development, Dilag and Philracom commissioners Vey Cruz, Eduardo C. Domin-go, Jr., Eddie Jose, Roger Tandiama, Francis Trillana, and Jun Sevilla committed to give the public more exciting races this year.
Tour route undergoes inspection
All 84 cyclists who qualified for the Tour Pilipinas 2003 this summer have shifted their preparations to high gear even as race organizers are conducting a second survey of the route that will cover over 2,000 kilometers of roads from down south in Sorsogon to Laoag City up north.
Scheduled for April 26 to May 11, the Tour Pilipinas 2003, which is presented by Air21, will cover 18 stages, the most difficult of which is still the Baguio City stage that consists of two strenuous climbs over Marcos Highway and Kennon Road.
But to ensure that all roads leading to the crowning of the first Tour champ in four years leave no hitches, officials of the race management group — the Philippine National Cyclists Association (PNCA), formerly the Professional Cyclists Association of the Philippines-are currently in Bicol for the second of at least three surveys.
“We just wanted to make sure about the route conditions and the accuracy of the distances of the stages,” said Paquito Rivas, president of the PNCA, adding the recent holidays did not distract the riders from the Tour, which is hitting the road again after taking an abrupt end in 1998.
“The conditions of the routes are okay. We do not see any problems when the Tour finally hits the road this summer,” said Tour executive director Mar Mendoza.
Shot in the arm for golf
In a year of challenges, Philippine professional golf got a big shot in the arm with the revival of the nationwide tour through the initiative of the First Gentleman himself, Mike Arroyo, and Comelec Chairman Ben Abalos who is also the commissioner of the pro body.
Arroyo’s unselfish act of providing the resources of his foundation to ensure that the local pros get back their livelihood proved to be a defining moment for the First Gentleman who is a devot golfer and a sports patron.
In no time, San Miguel Corp. responded to the call for support by Abalos with a significant financial backing and WG&A Superferry took out the transportation worries of the pros by giving them free passes for their southern campaign. Ogie Manalo, president of the Federation of Golf Clubs Philippines Inc. which organizes the 12-leg circuit, said that it is certainly not easy for exclusive membership clubs to be disrupting their daily operations for a tour that in reality, hardly gives them back anything.
As a result, Manalo said, managers and golf directors making up the leadership of the Federation have made their own unselfish acts of getting the tough job of organizing the previous six legs of the tour in Luzon and the Visayas done.
Tanpinco leads RP in five-title juniors conquest
J.R. Tanpinco parred the first extra hole to beat South Korea’s Son Hyeon Ho in their sudden-death playoff and key the Philippines’ five-title romp in the sixth Samsung Philippine International Junior Golf Championship. It was a dramatic come-from-behind win for Tanpinco, who shot a 75 to force the tournament’s first sudden playoff after Son limped home with an 80 to wind up with identical 312 for 72 holes.
Actually, it was a double family celebrations as Tanpinco’s sister Anya, 19, also kept the girls’ special division tiara after coming up with 74 to wind up with a 54-hole total of 237.
Not only that, Jenz Tecson carded a 77 to go with Tanpinco’s 75 for 152 to power the host country clinch the team title with a three-day total of 459. Second was Malaysia with 464, followed by South Korea, 474.
Allan Miñoza and Holen Juan Superal were the other Filipinos to capture titles.
Superal sparkled with a 69 at the Wack Wack East Course to win the Class D diadem 215, followed by Thailand’s Jun Heo 76-231 and Ralph Waldo Salao of the Philippines, 89-285. Miñoza, the 16-year-old nephew of top pro Frankie, carded an 82 for 307 to capture the Class A crown thanks to the tournament rule that no player can win two championships.
Triathlon has new venue in Cebu
The 2003 National Triathlon Trial scheduled to be held at Mactan’s Tambuli Resort in Cebu will be held instead at the sprawling South Reclamation Project (SRP) near Talisay, the organizing Cebu City Sports Commission, has announced.
The CCSC, headed by its chairman Jonathan Guardo, and the Triathlon Association of the Philippines, led by Tom Carrasco, said problems regarding traffic and crowd control in Mactan led to the selection of a new venue.
The new venue will be at the 7 billion pesos, 200-hectare SRP near Talisay. It is the latest site development and economic zone project of Cebu City Mayor Tommy Osmeña with its fast and even terrain expected to result to fast times by the national team members vying for slots for the Asian Triathlon Championship later this year in India.
Carrasco expressed satisfaction at the new venue saying “we might even use this site when we make a bid for the 2004 Asian Triathlon Championship here.
With its flat roads, this is really ideal for a triathlon and can meet international standards. We will also be starting the races at a later time than the usual as this is part of our adjustments to help our triathletes to get used to late morning starts in international competitions.”
