DUMAGUETE CITY—Cebu—both the city and province—raked gold medals from chess and dancesports and stamped its might in basketball to emerge as the most successful team in the Batang Pinoy Visayas Championships that ended on Thursday.
Cebu beat Mandaue City, 64-58, to snatch the boys’ basketball crown at the Lamberto Macias Stadium, a title conquest that avenged the province’s 59-63 loss to the same team in the eliminations.
Coached by former professional player Donbel Belano, Cebu Province drew 16 points from Justin Atilano and 14 from Nicael Cabañero.
“Our game plan was to play good defense. They are so prepared and they have a good coach and system. But defense really was the key,” said Belano, who played for Sta. Lucia Realtors, Barako Bull and Talk ’N Text in the Philippine Basketball Association.
Cebu won six and lost only once in the games.
Cebu City, on the other hand, swept its way to the girls’ basketball title via a 56-48 disposal of Cebu Province.
With a handful of events left to be played, Cebu City surged to the top of the overall medal standings with 45 gold, 56 silver and 66 bronze medals with host Dumaguete City in second place (41-27-27) and Cebu Province third (35-36-43).
A huge boost to the Cebu City was its eight-gold medal sweep in dancesport on top of picking up six in arnis.
Cebu Province, on the other hand, struck a gold mine and tuled nine events in kyorugi (sparring) of taekwondo where Iloilo City was also a big winner with eight gold medals.
Lapu-Lapu City’s Jerish John Velarde swept his three events in chess to also lure the spotlight on Thursdy.
After sweeping the blitz and rapid events by perfect scores of 7-0, respectively, Velarde sustained his brilliant form and added a third gold in the boys’ 12- under standard chess with 6.0 points on five wins and two draws at the close of the tournament at the Gov. Mariano Perdices Stadium Indoor Hall.
Cebu City’s Jave Mareck Peteros scored 6.0 points in topping the 15-under standard event while Alpheca Gonzales tallied 5.5 points in securing the girls’ 15-under mint in the games organized and sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Cebu City also picked up another chess gold through Edelyn Vosotros, who scored 5.5 points in emerging as the girls 12-under standard champion.
“I’m happy to have won three golds, although I wasn’t expecting this,” said Velarde, 11, a Grade 5 student at Maria Ernestine School, who looks up to the late Russian world champion, Grandmaster Mikhail Tal, “because of his attacking style.”
The top five placers in the individual sports will qualify for the Batang Pinoy National Games scheduled early next year.