Baguio keeps POF CL-NL overall title
By June Navarro
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:08:00 04/07/2008
Filed Under: Martial Arts (general), Sports Events
SUBIC—Baguio struck heavily in the contact sports in response to Bulacan’s domination of swimming and gymnastics to retain the Central Northern Luzon qualifying games overall crown Sunday in the 3rd Philippine Olympic Festival.
Siblings Ana Melissa and Christopher Manuel De Leon joined hands with Andre Dean Foman-eg and Reynaldo Estabillo as Baguio captured 12 gold medals out of the 29 the city captured in the arnis anyo events.
Ana Melissa pocketed the gold in the girls’ single weapon, double weapon and espada y daga categories while Christopher Manuel won the same events in the boys’ division to complement Baguio’s victories in medal-rich taekwondo, freestyle wrestling and muay.
With perfect executions, Foman-eg and Estabillo both snared the men’s single weapon, double weapon and espada y daga events.
Baguio, which also won nine golds in taekwondo, seven in freestyle wrestling and five in muay, harvested a total of 137 gold medals, 112 silvers and 72 bronzes after the week-long event supported by Globe, Pagcor, ACCEL, Negros Navigation, Summit Mineral Water and Creativity Lounge.
Bulacan leaned on the exploits of its swimmers and gymnasts to finish second with a 58-39-49 gold-silver-bronze collection while host Olongapo wound up fourth with a 52-49-57 medal output in the meet aimed at discovering talents for the 2012 London Olympics.
Nikki Ann Bertulfo, Judy Mae De Guzman and Regilyn Jose captured 15 of Bulacan’s 21 gold medals in girls’ gymnastics.
The 12-year-old Bertulfo ruled the floor exercise, vault, balance beam to bag the overall title in the category 2 level 3 girls’ artistic gymnastics while De Guzman and Jose lorded it over in rhythmic gymnastics.
De Guzman topped the category 1 level 3 of rhythmic gymnastics after winning the rope, hoop, ball, ribbon and overall events while Jose, 16, ruled the ribbon, rope, ball and hoop events of category 2 level 3.
Tanker Jessie Khing Lacuna scooped up nine more gold medals in swimming for Bulacan to increase his haul to 12.
After registering triple A clockings in the 100m back and 100m freestyle for boys’ 15 and over on Saturday, Lacuna passed the international standard times of boys his age in the 200m butterfly, 50m free and 100m fly.
The 15-year-old Lacuna, who trains with the national pool at the Trace Aquatics Center in Los Baños, Laguna, also bagged the gold in 200m individual medley, 200m free, 1500m free, 200m back, 100m breast stroke and 200m breast to become the most bemedaled athlete of the games.
Baguio subdued host Olongapo in the senior division of the regu event in sepak takraw and also leaned on its wrestlers, who nailed all but one of the eight gold medals at stake in the freestyle event.
Wrestlers Kelvin Quitola (jr. men 60kg), Edgar Paasa (jr. men 66kg), Jason Siador (jr. men 74kg), Jessie Matias (sr. men 55kg), Perlito Siador (sr. men 60kg), Adam Cacay (sr. men 66kg) and Violeta Lagawad (sr. women 55kg) produced the goods for Baguio.
Baguio’s taekwondo-jins also shone along with the swimmers who came up with a solid performance in the different pool events to help in the title-retention bid.
|
