SPRINT DOUBLE. Samantha Gem Limos of the University of Cebu surges towards the finish line on the way to winning gold in the secondary girls 200 meters final. Limos also won the 100m gold last Wednesday. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
Legazpi City —With their hopes of salvaging an improved finish hanging in the balance, the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) athletes made a last-ditch effort yesterday.
And whether the late push is enough will be known today as the 59th edition of the Palarong Pambansa ends after a bruising, week-long competition.
Cviraa hauled in 11 gold medals in the penultimate day of action, its best single-day output, that put it in a position to reclaim the post it held for several years and bounce back from lackluster sixth-place last year.
In Cebu Daily News’ tally as of 8 p.m. yesterday, Cviraa already had 26 golds to go with 24 silvers and 26 bronzes—good for fourth spot.
Cviraa had been a consistent fourth placer before slumping to sixth spot last year.
In the Department of Education’s (DepEd) partial tally as of 8 p.m., however, Cviraa was at fifth spot with a 22-24-26 tally. Taking the fourth spot was Region 10, which had 24 golds, 23 silvers and 34 bronzes. The medal count varies since the official tabulation is released late.
In the official tally, the National Capital Region (NCR) was comfortably ahead with 89 golds, 49 silvers and 40 bronzes. At second was Region 4-A (34-34-49) followed by Region 6 (31-30-30).
Region 7 still has a chance of adding more golds as the secondary football team and the elementary girls volleyball team advanced to today’s championship games.
Though it remains to be seen if it can improve its ranking last year, Cviraa has already achieved some sort of accomplishment as it already surpassed its total harvest of 18 golds, 29 silvers and 29 bronze medals last year, despite losing some athletes after the creation of the Negros Island Region.
GOING FOR GOLD. Roa of Central Visayas heads the ball against Bicol Region during their semifinal match in the Palarong Pambansa. The Bisdaks beat the Bicolanos to arrange a gold medal match against NCR. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
“Whatever happens, whether we meet our target or not, I am satisfied with our showing. The children really did their best,” said Dr. Luz Jandayan, chief of Education Support Service Division of the Department of Education in Central Visayas (DepEd-7). “We are in the running for sixth and can even finish higher. It just showed that it didn’t affect that we lost some athletes to NIR. It shows that we really have the athletes who have the skills and determination to win.”
Leading the region’s strong charge yesterday was the secondary tennis team, which plucked three golds.
Feb Wyndell Deja and Ruccel Sero won the doubles event, Jan Godfrey Seno topped the singles event, while Allysa Mae Bornia and Zethley Mae Alferez bagged the girls doubles title.
Princess Nicole Dela Rita won the elementary girls tennis singles event.
The elementary badminton teams also delivered three golds by ruling the singles, mixed doubles and secondary girls doubles events.
Lyndon Millanes of Central Visayas clears the bar in the secondary boys pole vault event in the penultimate day of the 59th Palarong Pambansa in Legazpi City, Albay. Millanes salvaged a bronze o his final attempt. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
Vic Glycen Derotas snagged gold in the secondary girls standard chess individual, while Samantha Gem Limos snatched her second gold by winning the secondary girls 200-meter dash.
Region 7 also got gold from the archery team event as well as from elementary softball.