By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Southeast Asian (SEA) Games medalists Ronald Oranza and Jermyn Prado banner the 21-member Philippine team to the 44th Asian Road Cycling Championships and 31st Asian Junior Road Cycling Championships in Phitsanulok, a city north of Thailand.
Oranza won two bronze medals at the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games while Prado bagged a gold at the 2019 edition held in the Philippines.
Joining them are junior riders Kent Steven Zambrano of Sultan Kudarat, Roy Benedict Plastina of Makati City, Mary Gwennielle Francisco of Quezon City and Jazmine Kaye Vinoya of Pangasinan and Baguio City who topped their respective events in the Batang Pinoy National Finals last December in Puerto Princesa City.
This is the first time that PhilCycling, which is headed by Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino, is sending cyclists from the Batang Pinoy, the country’s national grassroots program for athletes 15 years old and below.
Also competing in the men’s category are Joshua Pascual, Julius Tudtud, Junrey Navarra, Marcelo Felipe, Steven Nicolas Shane Tablizo, Andrei Dennis Deudor, Jude Gabriel Francisco and Ruzel Agapito, while other entries in the women’s category are Phoebe Salazar, Maura Christine March de los Reyes, Maritoni Krog, Kim Syrel Bonilla, Angelica Mae Altamarino, Angela Joy Marie Bermejo and Raven Joy Valdez.
The team arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday afternoon and took a six-hour land trip to Phitsanulok, where the riders will vie in team mixed relay, individual time trial and road race events of the tournament that will start on Friday until Feb. 17.
The athletes are accompanied by coaches Reinhard Gorantes, Mark John Lexer Galedo, Virgilio Espiritu, Marita Lucas and Joey de los Reyes and mechanics Reynaldo Navarro and Roderic Calla with Sunshine Joy Vallejos as team director. (PNA)
