Two historic dominoes on the islands, such as Pedro Rodríguez ‘El Palillo’ and his inseparable Luzdivina López, add to their record with their first City of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Open, after having participated without success in the three previous editions. It took the couple three intense days and 12 games to win the title, adding to their historic treble in the 1995, 1997 and 1998 nationals.
Pedro Rodríguez El Palillo, 84, is an institution in the national dominol, well, it is not in vain that he has been a four-time champion of Spain, in addition to having obtained an endless number of island and provincial titles as well as various trophies and recognitions throughout his long career among chips.
“I started playing when I was barely 15 years old” points out the player from Tenerife, so I have been playing for 69 years, the same as Luz, -he tells us between the laughs of both”. Pedro and Luz have been playing together in both national and national competitions for two decades and the victory in the recent Open “especially her” made them particularly excited, says Pedro-.
After their participation in the three previous editions, they finally won the title as a couple. The emotion overflowed in both when they received the trophies and, especially, with the gift of two simple commemorative dominoes of this IV Open, an indelible memory of a few days “that we would love to repeat next year if only to feel the great reception and the great moments experienced during the tournament which, not for nothing, is the best we have experienced both for organization and for sportsmanship and friendship in so many years of dominoes that we have behind us, “they both point out.
For her part, Luzdivina López tells us that she also became fond of dominoes from a very young age. The woman from A Coruña quickly got hooked by going to championships that were held in nearby towns and even not so much.
In one of them -years later- she met Pedro and as an anecdote she tells us that «I told some friends that one day I would like to play with that man. They laughed and asked me if she was crazy. And look, time proved me right and we have been playing together for twenty years now ». At the same time, with a wide smile.
Pedro indicates that «I had never noticed her but she told me that she was always behind me watching me play. We have been playing the Insular League in Tenerife for two decades and other competitions that are available to us », he stresses.
The man from Tenerife was four times champion of Spain together with his partner Diego Magdalena, now deceased
After three days of close competition and twelve games, in one of the most exciting editions everything was resolved, how could it be otherwise, on the last day, leaving us with a luxury podium. Luzdivina López and Pedro Rodríguez (Tenerife) won the final victory, escorted by Francisco M. Estévez (winner of the first 2 editions) and Juan J. Afonso (Tenerife) and by José E. Pérez and Ventura San Juan (La Palma ), second and third respectively of this 2023 edition.
Pedro Rodríguez El Palillo, despite carrying his back at 84 years of age, gathers a privileged mind and is an evocation of memories together with an infinity of anecdotes after a life between chips.
«I don’t want to exaggerate you -he points out with a humility as great as his slender and tall figure- but throughout these almost seventy years playing I have hoarded almost a hundred trophies. My beginnings with just 15 years in the bar of the neighborhood where I grew up are already very distant ».
The man from Tenerife was four times Champion of Spain forming a couple with the late Diego Magdalena; The first time is not even recorded in the official records of the Spanish Federation, since the I Championship of Spain is officially recognized as that of the year 1992.
The first title we won, in 1979, seems to me to be the most difficult because the competition system was very different from today. We had to go around qualifying rounds with different couples in Santa Cruz, La Orotava and I remember that we even traveled to Gran Canaria -to the Mountain of Arucas-, to qualify for the final phase in Jaén. There we got together 16 couples, achieving the title ».
Subsequently, El Palillo and Magdalena won the national titles in the 1995 (Madrid), 1997 (Tenerife) and 1998 (Granada) editions, a milestone in the history of our sport. His national record does not seem to be growing anymore because “I am no longer here to make trips to the peninsula, so I am satisfied with our tournaments in the Islands, which are also of an extraordinary level due to the quality and quantity of players we have.” », he apostille us to end our talk.
