Farewell to the Ascain nightingale

TINO REY

Thursday, 2 December 2021, 01:15

The ‘nightingale of Ascain’, as his friend Jon Trueba baptized him, passed away yesterday at the age of 66. An early age in which the future is still ruminating.

When you were a child, you went to the ratchet of your town hand in hand with your father Joset. He instilled in you all the secrets of this labyrinthine pediment. You were number one. The best. However, in your adventurous and dreamy spirit you had one goal, to make your debut in the professional field in the handheld mode. Alberto Vidarte, the great sheikh of Empresas Unidas, gave you the opportunity.

You made the jump on June 25, 1981 in Haro. The Rioja baseball players, who had heard about your adventures in Iparralde, did not miss the appointment. I was there. I watched the game together with the ‘La Rioja’ chronicler, Eduardo Gómez, who recently passed away. We both came to a conclusion: “It has good staves to make a great barrel.” We walked the long ball trail together. In these moments I never tire of remembering those unforgettable Sunday afternoons at the Astelena. You were the idol of the Cathedral. Your hooks, electric, created school.

I spoke with Julián Retegui, against whom you played hundreds of times. “It is not because today is the day of flattery, but Panpi was unrepeatable and her game made me derail.” Erasun’s champion confessed to being “sad, hurt and very sorry at the loss of a partner and a friend.”

Laduche was a versatile man. His great passion was singing. He had a silky, melodious voice. His hobby was hunting. Golf and rugby, his favorite sports. The last time I saw you was recently at the Ogueta. You could not miss the farewell to Olaizola II and the elimination of the Cuatro y Medio between Altuna III and Ezkurdia. You were weighing many pounds, which made me think that your body was weakened. When asked about your state of health, your answer was significant: “Enduring the vicissitudes of life.” Panpi, wait for me singing in the immense pediment of the beyond.