Gacusan clinches silver in Asian Youth Athletics

Wally Gacusan made his hometown proud with a silver medal in the boys’ high jump at the start of the 12th Southeast Asian Youth Athletics Championships Monday at Ilagan City Sports Comple in Isabela.

The 17-year-old from Isabela National High School cleared 1.81 meters and wound up second to Vietnam’s Vo Ngoc Long Cao, who won with a record 2.0-m leap.

Janmell Francis Gervacio, also from the host city, placed third with a 1.70-m effort.

“I could have done better if not for the knee injury I suffered four days before this tournament,” said Gacusan, the youngest son of corn farmers from Barangay Sta. Isabel Norte, in Filipino.

Ilagan City Mayor Evelyn Diaz promised a cash bonus of P8,000 for Gacusan.

Diaz said hometown tracksters who capture a gold will earn P10,000 while a bronze is equivalent to P5,000.

The Philippines occupies fourth spot in the nine-country meet with three silver and six bronze medals.

Vietnam, which seized four golds on opening day, two of them record-breaking feats, is on top, followed by Indonesia with a 3-1-1 gold-silver-bronze collection and Thailand (3-0-0).

Eduard Josh Buenavista, son of local track legend Eduardo, got the bronze in the boys’ 3,000-meter run with a nine-minute and 25.85-second clocking despite an injured right thigh.

“I can feel the pain in my thigh after I fell off the stairs three days ago,” said Buenavista.

The 15-year-old from Baguio National Science HS won a silver medal in the 6th Children of Asia last year in Yakutsk, Russia.

Indonesia’s Hendrik Marlyonda seized the gold with a record feat of 9:07.36.