They came up short of the overall crown. But for Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) chairman Edward Hayco, the 400-man Team Cebu City deserve all the praise after the Niños finished third overall against the country’s best junior athletes at yesterday’s close of the 2015 Batang Pinoy National Finals.
Composed mostly of volunteers and beneficiaries of the CCSC grassroots development programs, the Niños made good account of themselves in the five-day, 27-sport national meet by raking in 86 medals behind second placer Baguio City’s 89 and overall champion Quezon City’s 147 medals.
Team Cebu City has 28 gold medals, 28 silvers and 30 bronzes while Quezon City has 57 golds, 58 silvers and 32 bronze medals. Baguio has 41-14-34 (gold-silver-bronze).
Davao City ranked fourth with 55 medals (15-17-23) while Cebu Province finished fifth with 50 medals (14-13-23). Mandaue City ranked eighth overall with 29 medals including 13 golds, seven silvers and nine bronzes.
“It’s a big reward for us in the CCSC because Team Cebu City is composed of volunteer athletes and beneficiaries of our grassroots program and most of them are first timers,” Hayco said. “Just imagine if we fielded through our best athletes? For me, Cebu City may have placed third overall but we know we have provided our athletes a good learning experience in this meet,” he added.
Hayco also praised the four Batang Pinoy Finals hosts – Cebu City, Mandaue City, Danao City and Cebu Province and the 11,000 volunteers for a well coordinated hosting. He even called the volunteers unsung heroes who unselfishly served the needs of the thousands of competitors with the warmth and hospitality that emanated from their spirit of volunteerism.
BOXING WINNERS
In yesterday’s boxing finals at the Cebu Coliseum, Cebu City’s Eduardo Jimenez won the 36-kilogram division gold without throwing a punch after his opponent John Mark Miranda of Tayabas, Quezon came in overweight.
Cebu Province topped the boxing competition by hauling two golds and a silver. Alexander Bonita defeated Rodel Gamo of Bago City by unanimous decision in the 28-30kg division while Berland Robles beat Ar-jay Recopelacion of Luzon in the 46kg class. Keyt Niño Abatayo lost to James Ian Pangga of Cagayan De Oro in their 38kg division duel.
Dominique Casañares was Mandaue City’s lone gold medalist for boxing after he defeated Laban’s Kim Delmar Macaanga by unanimous decision in the 50kg class.
NIÑOS TOP TENNIS
In lawn tennis at the Citigreen tennis courts in Punta Princesa, Labangon, Team Cebu City won three gold medals courtesy of Elizabeth Abarquez who captured two gold medals in girls’ singles and doubles with Zethley Mae Alferez and the boys tandem of Marc Nicole Suson and Francis Casey Bellita.
Abarquez toppled Manila’s Kiana De Asis in the singles final and De Asis and Tracy Llamas in doubles. Suson and Bellita meanwhile, beat Koronadal City’s Janus Ringia and Jose Maria Pague in boys doubles.
MANDAUE RULES BADMINTON
Mandaue City collected four gold medals, three silvers and two bronze medals at the Metrosports Badminton Courts in Lahug.
James Ryan Villarante and Carl Bernard Bejasa outplayed their foes from Laguna, 23-25, 21-13, 21-9 in boys doubles while Zinah Marichelle Bejasa and Karylle Rio defeated their Luzon rivals, 21-9, 21-10 in the girls doubles final.
The Bejasa siblings though, settled for silver medals in singles. Rio and Allen Penute won a bronze medal each.