Cebu archer strikes gold in SEA games

Lost in the hullabaloo about the country’s weak performance in the Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia is a story of perseverance and eventual triumph.

One such story belongs to 51-year-old Cebuano Dondon Sombrio and how archery took him on a journey from his hometown of Cagayan de Oro to Cebu City, to the RP team and onwards to the gold medal in the men’s compound category in the archery event.

He and teammates Dean Adriano and Earl Yap beat Malaysia in the finals, 225-221.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to bring home a gold medal. Sobra pa sa cloud nine,” said Sombrio in Cagayan de Oro, where he was back to his day job as an architect.

It was his third time to compete in the SEA Games. After failed tries in Thailand in 2007 and then in Laos in 2009, Sombrio made history when the Philippine team captured its first-ever gold in the men’s compound archery event.

“It was very difficult because the playing conditions were harsh. The wind was blowing in all directions in the field where we were playing,” he said.

“We beat Vietnam, the defending champions, first. After that, we beat Singapore. In the finals, we were up against the top-seeded team, Malaysia. We were just ranked number two. But after the first round, we were up by 10 points and extended that lead farther after the second round. But the team relaxed in the third round because we were all excited and ready to win the gold. We forgot that we still had another round left. But we got our focus back and won.”

Sombrio was a sophomore in high school when he was introduced to the sport. His fascination with the bow got Sombrio a scholarship at the University of the Visayas in Cebu City.

After years of training, he made it to the the Philippine team in 2005 and joined international competitions including the Archery World Cup in Shanghai, China, last August.

“Lisud kaayo didto kay daghan maayong laki. The best in the world were all there. I was fortunate enough to land in the top 30,” Sombrio said.

Sombrio is quick to credit God, his wife and three daughters, and the Cebu Archery Club for his success.

Not one to rest on his laurels, he’s busy preparing for the Indoor World Cup Stage in Singapore next month. He is also aiming to compete in the Asian Grand Prix and the World Championships next year. /By Jonas Rey N. Panerio, Correspondent