PENANG,
MALAYSIA (July 14) -- The Philippines
once again shines in international sports when
Leo Espada, a 19 year old rider from Tanauan,
Leyte won the first Malaysian International
Skim-boarding Competition at Batu Feranghi,
Penang, Malaysia today.
The young Filipino rider bested thirty three
other skimboarders from Hongkong, Australia,
Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, making
the Philippines the king in the watersports
called skimboarding.
When interviewed by the Philippine Information
Agency, the young Champion said, now he knows
the happiness that one feels when he is able
to give honor to his country and the pressure
that one gets when he is representing his country
and knowing that one really has to make good
so that the country will not be put in bad light.
Leo or Longcoy for short proudly raised the
Filipino banner as he was receiving his trophy.
The other rider from Tanauan, Leyte, Darrel
Espada, who is also representing the Philippines
won as third runner up. The Philippines fielded
only two players and both of them won.
The
other winners are Singapore's Darimi Mohammad
as first runner up and Singapore's Alfian Affandi
Juma-at as third runner up.
The first Malaysian International Competition
was organized by the Pooskimboards in cooperation
with the Tourism Malaysia, under the Visit Malaysia
2007 program, in connection with the 50th Anniversary
of Malaysia's Nationhood.
The two Filipino skimboarders' trip to Malaysia
was sponsored by Victoria Skimboards, the Provincial
Government of Leyte thru Governor Carlos Jericho
Petilla and the local government of Tanauan,
Leyte. The two Filipino riders were the winners
in the 3rd National Skimboarding Commpetition
held in April, 2007 at Tanauan which is the
skimboarding capital of the Philippines.
The Filipino riders were accompanied by Tanauan,
Mayor Roque A. Tiu who was the guest of honor
and the one who gave the awards to the winners,
his wife Olive, James and Rizza Ferguson, the
Skimboarding Wahini Champion Sheryl Pajelleno
who was one of the judges representing the Philippines
and two staff from the local government of Tanauan
Darwin Parilla and Eugene Ramos and the representative
of Mr. Freddie Gonzales of Victoria Skimboards,
Mr. Martin Legarda.
Mayor Tiu took the opportunity to invite the
skimboarders to the 4th Skimboarding Competition
in Tanauan which will be held in December of
this year.
