Lifters sustain record romp in Philippine National Games
BACOLOD CITY—Nestor Colonia erased four national marks yesterday as weightlifters sustained their record-breaking feats in the Philippine National Games here.
The 19-year-old from Zamboanga City lifted 116 kilograms in the 56 kg men’s Open snatch to shatter his PH record of 110 registered during the Asian Games in Guangzhou last year.
The carpenter’s son, who sprained his ankle in training 10 days ago, also wiped out the old marks in the junior clean and jerk (122.5) and total (222.5) by hoisting 135 and 251.
“I could have had a better lift in the clean and jerk (Open) if not for the pain in my left ankle,” said Colonia.
Aside from Colonia, lifters Jeffrey Garcia and Karl Louise Macrohon also set new records.
Garcia’s 105 in the 62 kg boys’ snatch eclipsed the record of 100 kg in the juniors and 95 kg in the secondary category.
Macrohon erased the old mark of 70 with a 77 lift in the 50 kg secondary snatch.
All told, 22 new PH records were set Thursday with Diaz accounting for six, Maybelyn Pablo four, Lea Ruth Llena three and Patricia Llena two.
Meanwhile, Bacolod pride Ramil Gallego showed Efren “Bata” Reyes the door in the men’s 9-ball quarterfinals at the Gaisano Mall.
Gallego, the 2009 Japan Open champion, hacked out a 9-7 win to arrange a semifinal clash with Delfin Tugado.
Jeffrey De Luna was scheduled to face John Ortega in the other semifinal pairing last night after a 9-3 win over Rodrigo Geronimo.
Rubilen Amit, 2009 world 10-Ball champion, humbled 11-year-old Cheska Centeno of Zamboanga, 9-4, to reach the 9-ball finals.
In swimming, Jessie Khing Lacuna secured his sixth gold after fending off La Union’s Khristopher Witt in the 50-meter breaststroke, while Jasmine Alkhaldi clinched a fifth gold.
Lacuna, who also won golds in the 200m freestyle, 100m breast, 50m free, 200m individual medley and 4x50m free, clocked 31.89 seconds to edge Witt (31.92).
Alkhaldi added the 100m fly (1:04.38) to her earlier victories in the 200m free, 50m fly, 50m free and 100m free.
Taekwondo jins Paul Romero (feather), Devy John Singson (fly), Jose Anthony Soriano (middle heavy), Christian Dela Cruz (welter), Pauline Lopez (fly), Maria Camille Manalo (light welter) and Jony Ann Reyes (middle heavy) won their finals matches and are bound to keep their slots in the national pool.
In athletics, long-distance runners Rene Herrera and Jho-An Banayag took the gold in the men’s and women’s 5,000-meter run.
Banayag timed 17:49.88 to beat Mary Joy Tabal (18:29.70) and Mary Grace Delos Santos (18:32.91), while Herrera turned back Julius Sermona anew in the men’s 5,000 in 14:51.40 to duplicate their 1-2 finish in the steeplechase.
