DANCESPORT 2018/SEPT. 08, 2018 Couple No. 128 – Minh Truong Doan Nguyen and Nha Uyen Trong Nguyen from Vietnam – Latin WDSF Open & ADSF Open – 10th Dancesport sa Sugbu Competition. (CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO)
Dancesport Team Cebu City (DTCC) did not allow the visitors to conquer its home turf by clinching a total medal tally of 15 gold medals in Saturday night’s World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) Cebu Open 2018 and 10th Dancesport Sa Sugbu which surprisingly ended earlier than it previous stagings at the Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino.
Germany’s Timur Imametdinov and Nina Bezzubova also showed why they are ranked no. 4 in the world after easily clinching the WDSF Open Latin title after garnering the top score of one from all judges.
Trailing at second place was the duo of Brodie Barden and Lana Skrgic-de Fonseka of Australia while rounding up the top 3 was the Japanese pair of Toshiya Ohkubo and Haruka Yoshimura.
The Philippines was not shutout in the contest with its bet, Elmar Dizon and Rachael Sun, placing fifth.
The event was highly praised by the visiting top dancesport athletes in the world.
“It was a world class prestigious event…proudly made in Cebu!” These were the words of organizer Edward Hayco whose wife, Eleonor, has taken over his former position of being the director of DTCC.
“In the words of the world champions, it was the best competition they’ve ever experienced. The warmth, the energy, the electric atmosphere, was unlike any competition they’ve been to.”
However, Hayco said it was never about hosting a prestigious event.
“It was simply all about the kids. Every year we graduate 1K-2K barangay dance scholars most of them are below poverty line. The event last night was the culmination of their year-long training. The dance kids also went through 3 months of competition from one barangay to another. Last night was our big push. Being poor they have been losing all their lives, this is one win, one hope for a better tomorrow. To give them something to keep in their heart, that can inspire them for the rest of their lives,” said Hayco.
Indeed, DTCC did not disappoint after bagging the 15 gilts. Leading the gold medal haul for DTCC were the pairs of Nigel John Angel and Shadelle Niña Hernandez who delivered three via the Juvenile 5 Standard, Juvenile 5 Latin and Juvenile 3 Latin; and John Lloyd Leyson and Ouie Selene Rendon who chipped in two via the Junior 5 Standard and the Junior 5 Latin.