LINGAYEN—Samantha Glo Revita swept the field in chess and John Enrico Vazquez led a slew of victories in karatedo that boosted Pangasinan to the overall championship of the Northern Luzon qualifying leg of the Philippine Olympic Committee-Philippine Sports Commission Batang Pinoy Games yesterday.
Revita, a Palarong Pambansa gold medalist, bagged her fourth gold after topping the girls’ individual rapid against Baguio City’s Jee-Ann Faye Barry at the end of competitions.
The 13-year-old chesser from Rosales town earlier dominated the standard and blitz events while helping her team capture the team blitz title.
Revita, a freshman at Rosales National High School, also boasts five gold medals from overseas tournaments in Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore.
Vasquez pocketed a third gold in the boys’ -39 kg kumite over teammate Narayana Mesina as Pangasinan captured 15 karatedo golds overall. John Matthew Manantan and Gilbert Arellano also finished with two golds each.
Arellano and Mesina joined forces with Vasquez in the team kata while Manantan, who won the boys’ individual kata, proved successful in the -63kg kumite. Vasquez and Arellano also came out triumphant in the -44kg and -35kg kata, respectively.
Also winning for Pangasinan were Aldrin Christian Yu Brito (boys’ -35kg) and Zabala (girls’ -47kg) in the advanced kata while Jude Uson (boys’ -35kg), John Jerick Obra (boys’ -49kg) and John Marc Claveria (boys’ -58kg) downed their opponents in the kumite.
Backed by Gov. Amado T. Espino Jr., the host province overtook Baguio City in the overall race by hauling a total of 70 gold medals on top of 80 silver and 80 bronze medals.
Baguio City, which shone in taekwondo, swimming and arnis, wound up with a gold-silver-bronze output of 65-56-48 while Malolos, Bulacan, was third overall with a 16-11-10 output after striking in badminton and swimming.
Siblings John Matthew Bernardo and Paola Beatriz Bernardo of Malolos ruled the boys’ and girls’ badminton singles. Paola Bernardo later paired with Chanel Lunod for the girls’ doubles title.
In the baseball national finals, Tarlac demolished Manila, 19-9, for the title.
Baguio had eight gold medals in full-contact arnis through featherweight Lira Acachang, lightweight Lorraine Anne Carino, bantamweight John Monroe Yalong and flyweight Eric Cagawa.
The leg produced standout swimmers Jamleth Villanueva of Olongapo City, Gwyneth Cawaling of La Union and Baguio’s Jenkins Labao, who captured six gold medals each, and track and field quintuple gold medalists Sisa Carunungan and Leah Taltala of Baguio.