Region 7 bags 3 golds via badminton, arnis
Dumaguete City— Region 7 still couldn’t get anything from its struggling tracksters but found its saving grace with the badminton teams, which accounted for two of the three gold medals that the region won yesterday in the 2013 Palarong Pambansa here.
The elementary badminton squad asserted its supremacy in the team event, while its counterpart in the girls division scored some measure of revenge as Region 7 finally got going after failing to win a gold in the first day of action.
Contributing to the region’s productive day was Max Caballes Jr., who won gold in the secondary boys arnis anyo (form) individual single weapon event.
“I just kept my focus because I knew I was up against tough opponents,” said Caballes, who also won one gold in last year’s Palaro held in Lingayen, Pangasinan.
Also harvesting medals in arnis were Catherine Cuarez, who bagged silver in the secondary girls anyo individual single weapon, and Krizel Angana, who snatched a bronze in the elementary girls anyo individual single weapon.
MIGHTY NCR LEADS
In the initial tally as of 8:50 p.m. yesterday, Region 7 sat at fourth place with a three-gold, three-silver, six-bronze harvest.
Perennial champion National Capital Region (NCR) was way ahead with 19 golds, 12 silvers and eight bronzes. At second was Region 6 with nine golds, four silvers and six bronzes followed by Region 3 with a 7-3-9 (g-s-b) tally.
The badminton teams showed tremendous grit and gut in humbling their fancied opponents from the National Capitol Region (NCR).
The elementary boys team went through some anxious moments when Anthone Pete Abellana of the Talisay City National Elementary School bowed to his NCR counterpart in the first singles, 17-21, 15-21.
James Ryan Navarette and Lyrden Laborte, both from the vaunted Banilad ES, kept Region 7’s bid alive by winning the doubles event, 21-11, 21-14.
Region 7 went on to duplicate its gold medal finish last year when Carl Bernard Bejasa, also from Banilad ES, triumphed in the second singles, 21-5, 21-8.
Aside from overcoming its first singles loss, the team also bucked the absence of coach Eddie Estoconing, who failed to call the shots for the squad since he was part of the officiating team.
The girls team also walked the tightrope before avenging its championship loss to the same NCR team last year.
Mary Kathleen Verallo of the University of San Carlos (USC) lost in the first singles, 6-21, 10-21, but the doubles team of Elloise Carillo and Zinah Bejasa of Banilad ES forged a winner-take-all match with an easy 21-6, 21-10 triumph.
Katrina Garing, also from Banilad ES, preserved the heroics of Carillo and Bejasa by winning the second singles, 21-5, 21-8.
“We didn’t panic. We know what the team is capable of doing,” said Alma Flores, who handled the team in lieu of Estoconing.
The Tony Abellana-coached secondary badminton teams fell short in their own campaign in the team event with the boys team of Dexter Opalla, Fritz Michael Sagaad, Nino Quindao and Alfred Armamento settling for just silver against their NCR counterparts.
Managing just bronze was the secondary girls team of Hanah Tudtud, Jhunna Francisco, Android Rose Tingson and Tricia Merced Opon.
In the elementary gymnastics, Renante Padilla Jr. took home silver in the boys floor exercise, while Dianne Navarro snatched bronze in the girls floor exercise and Eunie Soronio bagged two bronzes via the vault and beam exercises.
Desiree Padilla came away with a silver in the secondary girls floor exercise.
Michael Ichiro Kong settled for bronze in the secondary 200m butterfly, while archer Myla Agus wound up with bronze in the 40-meter contest.
