SISTER GOALS

Shaira Atuel Gabisay and her older sister, Kathlyn Atuel Gabisay, both of the Beatriz Durano Memorial National High School, are all smiles after finally bagging a gold medal together in the Palarong Pambansa.
CDN PHOTO/ Glendale Rosal

Gabisay sisters bag gold for Central Visayas in last Palaro together

Vigan City, Ilocos Sur — There was no sibling rivalry with this pair.

Sisters Kathlyn Atuel and Shairah Atuel Gabisay from Danao City, Cebu worked in harmony together to give Central Visayas a gold medal in the girls doubles event of table tennis in the ongoing 61st Palarong Pambansa at the Philippine National Science High School in San Ildefonso town here yesterday.

Playing together for the last time, the Gabisay sisters finally won a gold medal by beating a Calabarzon pair, 3-2, in the final round to contribute one of Region 7’s six gold medals yesterday.

This will be the last time the Gabisay sisters will be playing with each other in the Palaro as 16-year-old Kathlyn will be transfering to Adamson University to be part of its varsity team. Shairah just entered high school at the Beatriz D. Durano Memorial National High School.

“I will miss this but there’s a better offer waiting for me so I have to grab that opportunity,” said Kathlyn. “But I will treasure this forever because we achieved sister goals right here and it’s my last year in the Palarong Pambansa.”

The sisters have actually played for five years together but this is the first time they won a gold in the Palarong Pambansa. Shairah, the more experienced in the Palaro, competing for five years now, said familiarity with each other was the key to finally bagging a gold.

“We are very thankful and blessed because our strategy worked out very well. This proves that siblings can get along even in sports,” said Shairah.

“We’ve been playing for five years together in the doubles event so we know very well how we play and what our strategy is during the competition,” added Kathlyn.

There is actually a third Gabisay who is also a varsity in table tennis. She is Sherlyn Love, the eldest of the three, who is a varsity player for the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila.

The boys elementary table tennis team composed of Jebb Datahan, Daniel Butar, Andrei Caballes and John Niño Gapol also topped the team event to give Region 7 a second gold in table tennis. The team beat Davao Region in the gold medal round.

Central Visayas, thus, has had the most productive outing so far, securing seven gold medals in day three. The team now has a total of 12 gold medals, six silvers and eight bronzes as of press time.

First track gold

Among the gold medalists yesterday was 17-year old Boholana Riza Vallente, who gave Region 7 its first gold medal in athletics by topping the girls secondary 400-meter hurdles event at the President Elpidio Quirino Stadium in Bantay town. This is the third straight year she has won this event.

The Mabini town, Bohol native, who was accompanied by her parents, said she was very confident to win the event.

“There was a lot of pressure building on my side, but I prayed hard for this [win],” said the La Union National High School stalwart.

This will be the last year for Riza representing Region 7 as she prepares for college with the University of the Philippines (UP).

Archer Phoebe Nicole Amistoso bagged her third gold medal in the meet by topping the 50m event at the San Ildefonso Elementary School. The Silliman University stalwart initially won the 30m and 40m events last Tuesday.

In Santa Maria town, 12-year-old gymnast Euricka Soronio of the University of the Visayas won the elementary girls Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG). In taekwondo, Johan Abelard Concepcion bagged a gold medal in the secondary boys poomsae event. Monique Ramas Uypitching added another gold with a win in the girls’ elementary 50-meter breast stroke event.

Late Tuesday night, 14-year-old Jonjie Enyong of Bayawan City, Negros Oriental won a gold medal in the cadet 42-kilograms division of wrestling.