Asian track cycling back on Philippine soil

TAGAYTAY CITY, Philippines, March 26 ------ Philippine cycling is literally back on track and on the Asian map. It came to be after the 45th Asian Cycling Confederation Track Championships was unveiled at the brand-new Tagaytay City Velodrome.

It will be the country’s first staging of track event since 31 years ago at the Amoranto Sports Complex. “Welcome to the Asian Cycling Track Championship. After 31 years, we’re back on track and this is a dream come true,” said PhilCycling president Abraham Tolentino during yesterday’s opening ceremony of the weeklong meet.

Simultaneously being hosted by Tagaytay is the 14th Asian Para Track Cycling Championships. Also present in the inaugurals were ACC head Dato Amarjit Singh Gill, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio and commissioners Walter Torres and Ed Hayco, Tagaytay City Mayor Brent Tolentino, Vice Mayor Agnes Tolentino, and former Cavite governor Athena Tolentino. Tolentino toned down expectations on how the Filipino cyclists would perform since the national track team has just been revived. “I don’t expect medals since we’re literally back to zero,” he said.

The Philippine Olympic Committee chief, however, said this event and the new track should spur a great revival of the sport that produced three-time Southeast Asian Games gold winner Alfie Catalan decades back.

Source: philstar.com