Double gold medalist for archery Phoebe Nicole Amistoso of Sibulan town, Negros Oriental.
Archer from Sibulan breaks Palaro records, wins two gold medals for Region 7
Vigan City, Ilocos Sur — With little preparation coming into the 61st Palarong Pambansa, Phoebe Nicole Amistoso from Sibulan town, Negros Oriental, wasn’t quite worried.
The 16-year-old, seventh grader from Silliman University remained confident because she knew her regular training and her experience in big tournaments would come into play on game day.
And it did.
She went on to win two gold medals — the only gilts for Central Visayas yesterday— and broke two Palarong Pambansa records in the process in the secondary girls archery competition held at the San Ildefonso Elementary School in the outskirts of Vigan City.
“I was surprised [with my performance] because I only had less than a month to train,” said Amistoso. “But I was confident that I can perform my best because I regularly train in school even when I have classes. And I already competed in the World Archery Philippine Cup in Manila last year, winning several medals. So the experience was an added edge for me.”
Amistoso broke the 2017 Palarong Pambansa record of Maria Fermi Gleam Bajado by scoring 339 points, erasing the latter’s 334 points in the 30m category.
Region 3’s Maria Karylle Pangilinan and Charmaine Angela Villamor of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) settled for silver and bronze, respectively.
Amistoso also broke Villamor’s 2017 record of 318 points in the 40m category as she logged a 326 en route to her second gold medal in this multisporting meet.
Caraga Region’s Julie An Malinog placed second and Zetha Cataluña of Region 10 settled for third.
Amistoso still has a chance for more golds as she competes in the 50m, 60m, Olympic, and team events.
She is confident to win in this sport, which she only thought of as a past time before.
“At first it was all for fun but it turned into passion,” said Amistoso, who won four gold medals and two silvers in the Central Visayas Regional Athletics Association meet in Tagbilaran City earlier this year.
It is this passion that makes her one of the brightest prospects in the sport.
“I really see potential in her,” said Amistoso’s coach Crisaldo Merto.
Region VII, also known as Central Visayas, now has four gold medals, two from Amistoso and two from the chess team last Monday. The team also has four silvers and four bronze medals.
The boys’ secondary division tennis team gained one of the silver medals yesterday. The team is composed of Francis Regner Lambayan, Don Vinz Lominoque, Ibarra Ortega Jr. and Guillian Antonio Bandoquillo.
The girls secondary finished with a bronze medal courtesy of Princess Nicole Dela Rita, Sunzel Faith Callao, Zethley Mae Alferez and Elizabeth Abarquez.