Tagaytay: Nearly 600 riders from 16 countries are seeing action in the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) Track and Para Track Championships that kicked off at the Tagaytay CT Velodrome in Cavite on Wednesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, a total of 44 gold medals is at stake in the Asian championships, featuring individual and team pursuit, sprint, keirin, elimination race, omnium, points race, scratch race, Madison, and 1 km. for both men and women categories. The events in the para track competitions offering 30 gold medals include individual pursuit, 1,000 meters time trial, sprint, elimination, scratch race, and mixed team and tandem sprints.
Participating countries in the competition are Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong-China, Indonesia, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Macao-China, Malaysia, China, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and host Philippines.
According to Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham 'Bambol' Tolentino, the country's track program 'is starting from scratch' and the Filipino riders are not expected to secure any medals. "I don't expect any medal or podium finish here for our track cycling team. We're starting from scratch. we're still calibrating and adjusting. So, we will learn, little by little, and we will soon learn it," said Tolentino, who is also the president of PhilCycling.
Tolentino expressed gratitude for hosting the event after 31 years, stating it as a significant achievement for Philippine sports. "We finally hosted this event after 31 long years. And it is really a dream come true for Philippines sports. We are thankful to ACC and UCI for helping us."
Prominent figures such as ACC president Datu Amarjit Singh Gill, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairperson John Patrick Gregorio, and Tagaytay City Mayor Brent Tolentino attended the opening ceremony. Other key attendees included Philippine Paralympic Committee president Mike Barredo, Uzbekistan Cycling Federation secretary general Khurshid Atakulov Bakhodirjanovich, and Saudi Cycling Federation president Abdulaziz Al-Shahrani.
PSC commissioners Walter Torres and Eduardo Hayco, Vice Mayor Agnes Tolentino, and former Cavite governor Athena Tolentino were also present. Gregorio highlighted the significance of the event as a realization of dreams for both the country and President Tolentino. "It's a dream come true for President Tolentino, and for the country," Gregorio mentioned during the opening ceremony attended by a large audience.
The Tagaytay CT Velodrome, a world-class cycling facility, has replaced the historic Amoranto Velodrome in Quezon City. This new facility, built by Tolentino, meets UCI standards and is positioned to become the country's 'Olympic Center.'
