Niños add 22 gilts to medal tally with 1 day left in CVIRAA games

Sprinters of the Cebu City Niños show the way to victory during the CVIRAA track and field competition at the Carcar City Sports Complex. | Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Team Cebu City Niños hauled 22 gold medals in the penultimate day of the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) in Carcar City on Thursday, April 27, 2023. 

One of its delegation heads, Francis Ramirez of the Cebu City Local Schools Board believes that they will emerge on top of overall medal tally as the meet wraps up tomorrow. 

READ: Day 3 of CVIRAA Meet: Cebu City Niños haul 17 golds

Looking to top meet

The Cebu City Niños, the perennial overall champions of CVIRAA, finished with 78 gold, 60 silver, and 76 bronze medals in the 2019 edition in Dumaguete City.

Fast forward to 2023 after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Niños are eyeing to extend its reign in this meet that serves as the qualifiers for the Palarong Pambansa. 

Ramirez told CDN Digital that their official medal tabulator for Cebu City has already tallied 75 gilts, which is less than three gold medals from its 2019 haul. However, the Department of Education (DepEd) Region VII has yet to release its partial and official medal tally as of this writing.

They are expecting more gold medals tomorrow as most of its team events have already secured a spot in the gold medal round tomorrow, while some individual events are still happening as of press time. 

Convincing performance

The Niños are able to deliver a convincing performance despite the lukewarm performances from its athletes due to the hastened preparation for the meet. 

“Sa karon, affected gyud atong performance. Mao kinahanglan morecover ta bisan naglead ta. Maningkamot ta especially sa elementary. Dili ingon kulelat, pero weak kaayo atong elementary unlike sa secondary division,” said Ramirez. 

(For now, our performance has been affected. That is why we need to recover even though we are leading (in the medal tally). We will try our best especially in our elementary. It is not that we are really zero or that low but our elementary is really weak unlike the secondary division.)

READ: DepEd: No outdoor games between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to protect athletes from extreme heat

Short time to train

The Niños only had roughly two weeks to train for CVIRAA after the Cebu City Olympics was held earlier this month. 

“Ang uban divisions pud na pick up, na sama sa Bayawan. Para namo mao ni wake up call sa Cebu City para mas prepared pa sa sunod CVIRAA,” Ramirez said. 

(Our other divisions had been picked up and were included to Bayawan (delegation). For us, this is a wake up call for Cebu City for us to be prepared in the next CVIRAA.)

“After man gud sa Cebu City Olympics, diretso na mi og training kay wala nay oras. Mao nang wala pay recovery ang mga bata nagtraining na gikan sa City Olympics. Usa na sa factor nga duol kaayo atong training camp sa CVIRAA,” he said.

(After the Cebu City Olympics, we went straight to training because we did not have enough time. That is why the kids have no recovery (time) because they came from City Olympics. That is one factor that our training camp in CVIRAA is very close (to the event).)

READ: Bayawan City wrestlers grab 10 gold medals, lead CVIRAA meet

Archers win gold medals

Nonetheless, Ramirez lauded the Niños’ determination despite the tough competition and the blistering summer heat. 

A testament to this are the 22 gold medals the Niños’ bagged in the penultimate day of CVIRAA on Thursday, April 27. 

The bulk of the Niños’ gold medals came from its archers, who bagged seven of them, and its swimmers who harvested eight gilts. 

These archers are Aldrener Igot (secondary boys 60-meter, 70m, and FITA round), Zyril Jamse Fano (Stem A boys 30m and Olympic round). 

Igot and Fano teamed up with Kien Zhyron Torreon and Lawrence Ren Degamo to bag the gold medal in the secondary boys team trio boys. 

Joining them in winning the gold is its team trio girls comprised of Niña Mae Khylie R. Delos Reyes, Ana May,  Generalao, Elizah Viah H. Abbari, and Nikki, Gerondio. 

All these archers are from the Don Carlos A. Gothong Memorial National High School.

Swimming gold medalists

Meanwhile, Cebu City’s gold medalists in swimming on Thursday were Mike Gabrielle Dela Serna (secondary boys 400m Individual Medley and 50m backstroke), Andrei Valencia (secondary boys 100m butterfly), Em-ji Mata (secondary boys 100m breaststroke), Dionifel Kate Ricarte (secondary girls 100m butterfly),  Mary Pauline Indaya (secondary girls 100m breaststroke), and Keziah Denis Sostinto (50m backstroke).

They also topped the 4x100m freestyle relay secondary boys comprised of Benedict James Orio, Mata, Dela Serna, and Valencia. 

Table tennis gold medals

In table tennis, Cebu City clinched three gold medals courtesy of Rafael David and Gabriel David Misa who lorded the secondary boys doubles, Andrei Caballes in the singles secondary boys, and Kristien Kaye Alicaya for singles secondary girls. All four athletes are from University of Cebu (UC). 

In athletics, Juliana Mier Loberanis shone in the secondary girls high jump, while its 4x100m relay secondary girls squad comprised of Leica Lanticse, Shanily Niervez, and Amber Tutor finished first.  

In the basketball girls, the reigning Batang Pilipino Basketball League (BPBL) National Finals champions, Abellana National School crushed Dumaguete City, 81-30, to rule the secondary girls 5-on-5 basketball. Nadine Labay was named “Most Valuable Player” after erupting for 24 points. 

Lastly, in boxing, Binjamar Codoy took home the gold medal in the after winning against a pug from Cebu Province in the 52-54-kilogram youth category. 

READ: Cebu Province athletes haul 3 golds in day 1 of CVIRAA’s track and field event

Cebu Province’s gold medals

Meanwhile, Cebu province pocketed six gilts. Five of them came from its tracksters. 

Its gold medalists are James Riel Gulfan (110m hurdles and 400m hurdles elementary boys), Jamaica Punay (100m hurdles secondary girls), Kharis Lark Reil Pantonial (400m secondary boys). They also ruled the 4x100m relay secondary boys.

Also, Cebu Province got a gold in the table tennis secondary girls.