Puerto Princesa—Winning eight gold medals is more than enough for Aldener Igot Jr. and Team Cebu to redeem themselves from a disappointing campaign last year.
The 14-year-old Igot sloshed his way through the muddy grounds of the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex archery range and claimed two more medals on the final day of competitions in the 2019 Batang Pinoy National Finals here.
Finding his timing as moderate winds became unpredictable at times, Igot emerged as the most bemedalled athlete after towing Team Cebu to the mixed and boys’ division crowns.
Teaming up with Khalil Jusper Abella and Kien Torreon, Igot and his crew got off a 4-all tie deadlock and beat Team General Santos’ Renato Joaquin, Nino Sabile and Allyson Quiepo, 6-4, in a shootout for the Cub Boys gold.
Igot and then hooked up with Densil Shane Denopol and scored a 6-2 victory over Team Dumaguete’s Naina Tagle and Matt Bajado in taking the Mixed mint.
“Pabago bago ang direction ng hangin. But with the win, we are able to bounce back from what happened last year,” said Cebu coach Michael Solier.
Last year, Team Cebu got stranded at the Philsports Complex following a typhoon, and were late in going to Baguio City for the national finals and this threw their preparations off.
“Confident po ako na makuha ang team. Wala po akong binago sa approach ko,” said Igot, a grade 8 student of the Don Carlos Gothong Memorial National High School.
Igot earlier swept the gold medals in the 20m, 30m, 40m, 50m, FITA and Olympic rounds in the early rounds of this weeklong meet organized by the Philippine Sports Commission and backed by Milo.
So far, Baguio hauled a total of 48 golds, 36 silver and 51 bronze medals to run away with the overall crown with still a day left.
Cebu City is in far second with a 27-22-29 gold-silver-bronze haul, followed by Quezon City (22-22-21), Davao City (21-23-22) and Pasig (18-19-16) at second to fifth places, respectively.
Baguio had a big harvest of golds in wushu with 14, with muay thai claiming 10.
Aleca Dumseng (female 1st set chang quan, female 1st set qiang shu and female 1st jian shu) led Baguio’s gold medal collection, along with Andrei Albert (male 1st set chang quan, male 1st qiang shu/gun shu and male 1st set dao shu) and Alyna Lomibao (female 1st set nan quan and female 1st set nan dao).
Also contributing are Verah Dulay (female 24 taiji quan), Hans Lubguban (male 24 taiji quan and Male 32 taiji jian), and Carla Tilap (female 32 taiji jian).
In chess, Dasmarinas claimed two more golds after Jerlyn Mae San Diego and Michael Concio ruled the premier standard event for boys and girls 13-15 years old. And this adds to the two rapid golds that Dasmarinas clinched on Monday.
San Diego, a 14-year-old student for First United Christian School, drew with Alpheca Gonzales of Cebu City in 56 moves of a Maroczy Bind to finish with 4.5 points after five rounds.
Concio, a ninth grader at the Dasmarinas Integrated High School, was three pieces when he won in 31 moves over Tyrone Yao of Bacolod City, and tally 4.5 points.
Tanuan City’s Gladimir Chester Romero edged Olongapo’s Elijah Josh Opriasa and Panabo City’s James Catayas via tiebreak to claim the boys 12-and-under section honors.
Angeles City’s April Joy Claros prevailed on a better tiebreak over rapid champion Ruelle Canino of Cagayan de Oro to bag the gold in the girls’ side.
In taekwondo, Nueva Ecija took three golds in the kyorugi events thanks to Sharifa Dela Cruz (junior women bantamweight), Jusztene Buan (junior men fly), and Juliana Dela Cruz (light middle).
In arnis, Cebu grabbed three from Clifford Tonilon (Cadet A boys heavyweight), Mary Fhaline Caballero (Cadet A girls heavy), Albert Estrera (Cadet B boys heavy), and Crystal Bowman (junior girls bantam).