Cebu City banks on jins, tracksters to stay on top
Team Cebu City Niños had its most productive day so far in the 2018 Philippine National Games (PNG), winning 14 gold medals in the fourth day of competition in different venues around Cebu.
As of 5 p.m. yesterday, the home team now has 39 gold medals, 48 silvers and 43 bronze medals as tallied by the Cebu City Sports Commission officials.
In the official medal tally released by the Philippine Sports Commission, Cebu City leads but with a medal tally of 26-39-27 (gold-silver-bronze) while Mandaluyong City has a 20-10-10 haul and Baguio City has a 16-25-23 tally.
In the final day of athletics at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC), the Niños bagged three more golds to finish their campaign with a total of 12 gold medals.
Melody Perez pocketed her second gold medal by dominating the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the senior women’s division while Jhuvan Jhen Baculot ruled the triple jump in the junior girls class. The other gold was from the men’s 4x100m relay team.
Cebu City Niños athletics head coach Arvin Loberanis said that apart from homecourt advantage, his team’s dedication played a huge role in their success in this meet.
“I saw dedication in them, and I believe that was the key to success in winning the gold medals,” said Loberanis. “We did not really expect to pull off this kind of performance but we vowed to give our hundred percent every single competition.”
Loberanis also credited the Cebu City Sports Commission for its support to the entire delegation.
Most of the athletes of Team Cebu City are volunteer coaches of the city’s summer sports grassroots program.
Other gold medalists for Cebu City yesterday were Marc Norman and Norman Joseph Enriquez (men’s doubles lawn tennis); Val Stephen Jaca and Glendo Nayre (men’s doubles table tennis ); Dexter Tabique (85kg and junior open weightlifting); Jemil Tajan (finweight junior boys taekwondo kyurogi); Aidaine Krishia Laxa (junior girls individual taekwondo poomsae); Aidaine Krishia Laxa, Cha Besanes and Cheyena dela Fuente (junior girls team taekwondo poomsae); Nichole Maurin and Johnsey Sanchez, and Lee Robiegayle Navales (senior women’s team taekwondo poomsae); Aldrein Abrio, Scott Hermosa, and Lyan Llanto (senior men’s taekwondo team poomsae); the 4x50m medley relay women’s swim team of Razel Cabajar, Justine Reign Garrido, Karen Mae Indaya and Lindsay Anne Gonzales; and Earl Justine Perez (men’s kumite -61kg karatedo).
Meanwhile, Cebu Province made a living from contact sports as it bagged eight gold medals from taekwondo and karatedo events held at the SM Seaside City Cebu.
The Province won six golds from taekwondo and two from karatedo.
It now has a total of nine gold medals, seven silvers and eight bronze medals so far.
Cebu Province’s gold medalists in the taekwondo were Shane and Athena Nasayao (mixed pair juniors poomsae), McAvenger Alob (individual junior boys poomsae), Melody Jane Infante (bantamweight kyurogi), Mayne Yengele Coran (lightweight kyurogi), and Ellen Joy Villacarlos (welterweight kyurogi).
Gold medalists in karatedo were Allison Kyle Quiroga (-68kg kumite junior girls), and its team kata boys composed of Gerald Baclaan, Felix Calibusan Jr., and Jeremy Laurence Nopre.