PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan—Eagle-eyed Aldrener Igot Jr. powered Cebu City to the mixed and boys’ team of archery crowns to emerge with the most gold medals with eight in the National Finals of the Batang Pinoy at the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex here.
Igot—who swept the 20m, 30m, 40m, 50m, FITA and Olympic round the previous days—teamed up with Khalil Jasper Abella and Kien Zhyron Torreon in beating General Santos City’s Renato Joaquin, Nino Gleam Sabile and Allyson Quiepo via shootout in pocketing his seventh gold.
He later partnered with Densil Shane Dinopol in the mixed team in beating Dumaguete City’s Nina Dominique Tagle and Matt Charrid Bajado, 6-2, for his eighth mint—the most by any athlete in this weeklong meet organized by the Philippine Sports Commission and backed by Milo.
Igot’s barrage of golds, however, were not enough to lift Cebu City to first place as Baguio City broke loose to virtually snatch the overall crown for the second straight year.
As of noon on Friday, Baguio City hauled 48 gold, 36 silver and 51 bronze medals to run away with the overall crown with still one competition day to go.
At distant second was Cebu City with 27-22-29 (gold-silver-bronze) followed by Quezon City (22-22-21), Davao City (21-23-22) and Pasig City (18-19-16).
Baguio City struck gold in wushu where it harvested 14 and muay thai where it snared 10.
Aleca Dumseng (female 1st set chang quan, female 1st set qiang shu and female 1st jian shu), Andrei Albert (male 1st set chang quan, male 1st qiang shu/gun shu and male 1st set dao shu), Alyna Lomibao (female 1st set nan quan and female 1st set nan dao), Verah Dulay (female 24 taiji quan), Hans Lubguban (male 24 taiji quan and male 32 taiji jian), and Carla Tilap (female 32 taiji jian) accounted for Baguio City’s wushu victories.
Jether Bab-Anga (10-11 30kg), Azreal Duping (10-11 34kg), Charlwayne Bannagao (10-11 38kg), Larstephen Canedo (12-13 44kg), Edel Ali Ngina (12-13 46kg), Aira Nicole Mendoza (12-13 38kg), Krisna Malecdan (12-13 40kg), Francine Jade Velasco (14-15 38kg), Maria Isabel Malijana (14-15 42kg) and Ashlene Malecdan (14-15 54kg) delivered the wins in muay.
In chess, Dasmariñas City claimed two more gold medals after Jerlyn Mae San Diego and Michael Concio ruled the premier standard event for boys and girls 13-15 years old to add to the two rapid mints it captured Monday.
Tanauan City’s Gladimir Chester Romero edged Olongapo City’s Elijah Josh Opriasa and Panabo City’s James Catayas via tiebreak to rule the boys 12-under section while Angeles City’s April Joy Claros emerged with the better tiebreaker than 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 de la Cruz (junior women bantamweight), Jusztene Buan (junior men fly), and Juliana de la 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).