Julián Andrés Santa
Alfonso Escobar Morales is a 75-year-old leader from Pereira who stood out as president of the Risaraldense Motocross League for two periods, where he did a great job and was able to enjoy having top-level international sporting events on the defunct track that was located in the Ukumarí sector. Currently he no longer belongs to the league but has a very good relationship with the current president, Lina Loaiza, so he continues to contribute his knowledge and experience.
Regarding how he came to this sport, he explains: “I was living abroad for 14 years, I returned to Pereira and one of my grandchildren was competing in the national championship and they invited him to one of the races in the city of Ibagué and I was with my family. From that moment on I accompanied him to all the courts in the country and I became integrated with all the parents and sports clubs and this led me to be part of the league and in that inclusion, within the administrative body in an assembly I was elected president.”
Passionate about sports
“From primary school and high school I practiced all sports except boxing. I played soccer, basketball, volleyball, I was a cyclist and I was a leader of various groups for about 15 years, both at La Salle School at the time, and at Calasanz School. “I have had a very physical and very important active life.”
His experience as president
“There are many things that we enjoyed, many achievements that were achieved, especially a very important representation at the national level, we had 21 drivers in the National Championship, we won consecutively like four or five of these with drivers like the Ecuadorian Álvaro Cárdenas We brought him to race in the league and we also brought a super important rider from Costa Rica, David Chacón who still races here in Colombia and has a motocross school in Medellín. In addition, we have held the best Latin American championships in the country here in Pereira.”
“For us, the arrival of Dr. Juan Diego Patiño to the governorship is very important because he was part of the league and participated in several national championships. He is a motocross lover and we are very hopeful that he can help us with the issue of the lot. We have already had meetings with him, as well as with his Sports Secretary, Luis Eduardo Duque. There is a very important motivation and commitment from the departmental administration and we hope that this objective can be met because Risaralda is within the national calendar.”
They want to continue massifying this discipline
“Without motorcycling being an elitist sport, it is not easily accessible for many people, many people call the league to ask where they can take classes, where they can rent a motorcycle and unfortunately there are those obstacles in which you cannot provide that type of service, then the issues of the price of motorcycles and the permanently fluctuating exchange rates of the dollar
“They make it a little more difficult to spread motocross but there is a very good atmosphere, there is a very good reception from young people, there is a very important group of children and young people who will surely represent Risaralda in a very successful way,” he points out. the former president of the league, Alfonso Escobar Morales.
There is no doubt that motorcycling became one of the most important activities in the life of Alfonso Escobar, who at 75 years old continues to manage his beloved sport.