Cebu Province’s gold medalists Christian Tigbao (left) and Maria Lourdes Rondero (right).
cdn photo/Glendale Rosal
Two young athletes deliver golds for Cebu Province and parents back at home
Tagbilaran City — Two young athletes from the opposite ends of Cebu shared similar success in Monday’s rain-drenched action in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) meet at the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex here.
Maria Lourdes Rondero of Oslob town, southern Cebu and Christian Tigbao of Daanbantayan town, northern Cebu bagged gold medals in athletics for Cebu Province in their first stints in the annual multi-sporting meet.
The 11-year-old Rondero ruled the elementary girls’ long jump competition while Tigbao, 12, topped the elementary boys’ shot put event for Cebu Province’s first two gold medals in the meet.
Incidentally, both athletes fulfilled promises they made to their parents prior to the competition.
“Before I came here (to Bohol), I promised my parents that I will give them a gold medal. Thank God I won my first gold medal,” said Tigbao, who is the only child of his parents. “I can’t explain the happiness that I feel right now.”
Rondero, whose father is among the boatmen who help ferry tourists to watch the famous whale shark in Oslob, was pretty much confident she was going to win the gold in long jump.
“My mom told me before I left our house to win the gold medal. I just smiled and thought that I can do that so I made sure that I will win the gold,” said Rondero, whose mother is a housewife.
Tigbao, a sixth grader of Barangay Talisay Elementary School in Daanbantayan, proved his worth despite being a first timer in the meet by logging a distance of 8.57-meters.
He already showed potential last year when he won two gold medals in the Provincial meet in Carmen town, north Cebu. This despite not having any athletic background whatsoever. His father is a laborer in the town while his mother is a housewife.
“I just signed up for the tryouts at our school and our principal Elson Ibañez encouraged me to continue training because he saw a potential in me. I was kind of motivated because he truly believed in my potential so I trained hard. I trained morning before classes and in the afternoon (after classes),” he said, adding that his best throw in shot put is actually at 10 meters.
He gets a second ccrack at a gold when he competes in the discus throw, wherein his best throw is at 9 meters.
Rondero, on the other hand, is the youngest of four siblings. She belongs to a family of athletes, her two older siblings being table tennis players who were not able to qualify for the Cviraa.
An advantage for her is that she trains every afternoon with her friends along the pristine coastline of Oslob. That and her regularly training at the Oslob Central Elementary School makes her one sound athlete.
“I trained at the beach because there’s sand that I can land safely on,” she said.
She recorded a 4.17-meter jump in the elementary girls long jump event to bring home the gold medal. She also has a chance at another gold as she competes in the 1,500-meter run and triple jump events today.
Meanwhile, Cebu City, after winning five gold medals from gymnastics last Sunday at the Dauis gymnasium, struggled for just two silver medals and a single bronze in athletics.\
Jhuvan Jhen Baculot and Mary Joy Loberanis won silver medals in the long jump secondary girls and 1,500-meter run secondary girls while Shanny Nierves contributed a bronze in the elementary girls’ long jump event.
Cebu City, in Cebu Daily News’ unofficial medal count, still has five gold medals so far in this meet.
Cviraa officials have not made the medal tally available as of this writing.