John Marvin Rafols of CVIRAA competes in the long jump competition of the Palarong Pambansa at the Bicol University Sports Complex. Rafols won a gold. (INQUIRER PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA)
Bisdaks begin Palaro campaign with three golds
Legazpi City — If they are to bounce back from a lackluster performance last year, the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) athletes really need to get things going in the medal-rich athletics.
At least in the first day of competition, the Cviraa tracksters showed they are up to the task.
The Bisdaks went to work early at the tracks and a good harvest by the region’s chess players capped a productive day as action in the 59th Palarong Pambansa went full blast yesterday.
At the Albay Sports and Tourism Complex, John Marvin Rafols finally ended a string of heartbreaking campaigns when he bagged his first-ever Palaro gold by topping the secondary boys’ long jump event.
It was a momentous day for Rafols as he surprised himself when he came away with the crown.
“My score was my personal-best. I didn’t expect that since during trainings, I would only record 6.60 to 6.65 meters,” said the 17-year-old Grade 10 student of the University of Cebu.
Region 1’s Jaymark Gascon also recorded 6.91 in the final round but Rafols escaped with the gold owing to his second-best jump of 6.79m.
Gascon’s second-best jump stood at 6.61m.
Region 8’s Niño Asores finished third with 6.64m.
BONUS
Rafols will try to add another gold for Region 7 when he competes in the triple jump event tomorrow and the native of Barangay Labangon, Cebu City is confident of coming up with a good showing.
“Winning the long jump event was already a bonus for me since my focus is really on the triple jump event,” he said.
Rafols is in his fourth Palaro and his best finish before yesterday’s gold medal jump was winning a bronze which he got last year in Tagum City.
“I just pushed myself to work harder. I am proud and happy that my hard work finally paid off,” said Rafols.
Unlike Rafols, Rick Angelo Sotto didn’t have to wait long to become a Palaro gold medalist after he ruled the elementary boys’ triple jump event. Sotto sealed his resounding Palaro debut with a 12.20m jump.
“I trained hard and prayed hard. Those are the things I did that helped me win,” said Sotto.
Sotto exceeded expectations as he broke his personal-best set during trainings at 11.90m.
“It feels good to win knowing that I really worked hard in my training,” said Sotto, a 13-year-old Grade 6 pupil of the Cebu Institute of Technology-University.
The contest had just started but Cviraa is already on the brink of tying its gold medal haul with last year’s athletics.
Cviraa ranked sixth last year, winning only three golds in athletics courtesy of Shanelle Demilys Siasoyco (secondary shot put), Chan Mart Torregosa (elementary 400m hurdles) and Eden dela Fuente (elementary triple jump).
“We really want to help the region improve this year. For this year, we are expecting to win eight to 10 golds in athletics,” said Arvin Loberanis, one of the Cviraa athletics coaches.
Loberanis said the athletics team is more prepared this year.
As part of the centralized training that started March 14, players from Bohol, Siquijor, Danao and Lapu-Lapu trained with Cebu-based athletes at the Cebu City Sports Center.
Accounting for the region’s third gold yesterday was Alphecca Gonzales and Marian Calimbo, who ruled the chess blitz elementary girls with 10.5 points.
Gonzales, who is debuting in Palaro, also chipped in a silver in the individual blitz event.
Glybel Jane Quinanola and Glysen Derotas snatched another silver in the secondary blitz team event.
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