Palaro’s fastest man wins another gold

Photo by June Navarro/INQUIRER

SAN JOSE, ANTIQUE—Sprint king Veruel Verdadero of Dasmarinas City can deliver high-octane velocity even in longer distances.

The fastest man in this year’s Palarong Pambansa ruled the secondary boys 400 meters Thursday and joined the ranks of double-gold performers in athletics at the Binirayan Sports Complex track oval.

But the 15-year-old Verdadero, a bronze medalist in the 100m during the recent Southeast Asian Youth Athletics Championships in Ilagan, Isabela, isn’t done yet.

“I want the 200m in my collection,’’ said the two-time Batang Pinoy Games sprint double champion in Filipino. “I have to be in great shape tomorrow.’’

Verdadero is the hands-down favorite in the 200m Friday after he topped the centerpiece 100m dash the other day in 10.96 seconds.

The incoming ninth grader from Emilio Aguinaldo College-Immaculate Concepcion Academy in Cavite clocked 49.58 seconds in the 400m, beating Marjun Sulleza of Socsargen (50.03 seconds) and fellow Calabarzon runner Jan Vincent Alejandro (50.06).

Germar Marcelo of Davao region later followed Verdadero’s golden trail and won his second mint in secondary boys 3000m steeplechase following an earlier victory in the 5000m.

Over at the Pis-anan National High School track oval, archer Charmaine Angela Villamor of Baguio City earned a windfall of four gold medals in secondary girls’ recurve with victories in the 60m, 50m and 40m
for a total of 1301 points in the Fita round.

Lloyd Apawan of Central Visayas netted two golds in the 36-arrow 60m and 70m secondary boys recurve while Kennyben Gallogo of Caraga finally hit the mark after compiling 1,267 points in the Fita round among 72 participants. Gallogo finished second in the 30m, 50m, 60m and 70m.

Triplets John Clark Seguiter, John Carl Seguiter and John Christian Seguiter of Western Visayas prevailed in the Anyo single weapon team event of arnis, the country’s national sport. John Clark also won the individual Anyo single weapon event.

Bicol’s Rafael Siso shone in the individual Anyo double weapon while the trio of Lovely Tawingan, Martina Mendoza and Melliny Jane Rivera of Bicolandia seized the double weapon team gold.

Grapplers Veronica Ompod (40kg), Andrea Rowella Abrea (48kg) and Angela Alferez (56kg) made Eastern Visayas proud in girls freestyle wrestling while Mary Char Morgado of Caraga (44kg) and Jiah Pingot (52kg) achieved the same feat for their respective regions.

National Capital Region snared a pair of golds in table tennis courtesy of the mixed pair of Neo Angelo Laudato and Sherlyn Love Gabisay and the high school boys team of Romualdo Ramiro Jr., Elijah Chars Johan Yamson and Laudato.

After four days of competition, NCR has amassed 60 gold medals, 37 silvers and 26 bronzes followed by Western Visayas (22-13-26) and Southern Tagalog (16-34-35).

Other golden performers on the track were Bicol’s Edgie Garbin (boys 110m hurdles), Pamela Marquillero of Western Visayas (girls 110m hurdles) and Riza Jane Vallente of Central Visayas (girls 400m hurdles).