Baluran bags bronze in PNG

Irene Baluran of the University of Cebu (UC) bagged a bronze medal in her favorite triple jump event in the athletics competitions of the ongoing POC-PSC Philippine National Games at the Phil Sports Arena in Pasig.

Baluran jumped 11.61 meters in her final attempt to snatch third place with Ilongga Felyn Dolloso grabbing the gold.

Cebu City’s top bets, Ernesto Ybanez and Francis Berizo fell short in the long jump and shot put after placing only fifth in both events but Abegail Flores buoyed her teammates’ sagging morale by topping the first of seven heats in heptathlon.

So far, Cebu City has one gold medal courtesy of University of the Visayas’s (UV) Karen Velez who won gold in gymnastics with Kimberly Paler and Eunice Odag adding a silver and bronze respectively for a, 1-1-2 (gold-silver-bronze) haul.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Sports Commission Executive Director Brando Velasquez said he heard that Cebuano karatekas won medals. He vowed to verify the reports today.

Meanwhile, Wold Cup-bound Filipino Grandmasters Mark Paragua and Oliver Barbosa and Cebuano GM Richard Bitoon earned their second straight win to share the lead with 12 others in the Open section of the chess competitions at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) main campus.

Also with 2.0 points are GM Darwin Laylo, IM Richelieu Salcedo III, IM Joel Pimentel, IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia, IM Barlo Nadera, IM elect Mari Joseph Turqueza, FM Haridas Pascua, NM Alcon John Datu, NM Giovannie Mejia, NM Nicomedes Alisangco, Einnar Marc Reyes and Kevin Mirano.

12-time National Open champion GM Rogelio ‘Joey’ Antonio Jr., fresh from winning the gold medal in the Rapid event, led the huge group of 1.5 pointers.

WIM Catherine Perena, WIM Bernadette Galas, WNM Jedara Docena and Jerirose Lucero are leading the women’s class while Cebuano Felix Shaun Balbona, Christian Nanola and Diego Abraham Claro share the lead in the junior boys category with 2.0 points.

Double gold medal winner (blitz and rapid) Jean Karen Enriquez of Marikina City stayed on course for a third title by sharing the lead in the girls Standard chess with 2.0 points along with Chessa May Nadera, Michelle Yaon, Adelaide Joie Lim, Ana Margarita Tabol and Jemima Valdez. /Correspondents Dale G. Rosal and Marlon Bernardino