THE gold rush continues for host Cebu City, who took home more gold medals on the fourth day of the 2018 Philippine National Games (PNG).
Cebu City remained at the top of the unofficial medal tally with 39 gold medals, 48 silver medals, and 43 bronze medals after picking up a total of 14 gold medals in taekwondo, karatedo, lawn tennis, table tennis, swimming and athletics.
Melody Perez topped the 3,000-meter steeple chase in the senior women’s division, while Jhuvan Baculot got the triple jump gold after a leap of 11.05 meters in the junior girls division.
The junior boys won the gold medal in 4x100m relay. Jan Manard Ayade, John Paul Apilan , John Marvin Rafols, and Seth Abram Pilapil added another gold in the 4x100 meter relay in 44.31, while the senior team of Ruel Algufera, Benjamin Reynes, Jason Naces , Euton Ratilla and Ernesto Ybañez Jr. won the silver medal.
Cebu City has won a total of 12 golds in track and field since Day 1 and coach Alvin Loberanis admitted that even he was surprised by the number. He said one of the biggest factors was the home court edge.
Cebu City also nabbed two gold medals in the kyorugi event of taekwondo; Charlote Aquino topped the finweight division of the junior women’s event, while Jemil Tajan won the finweight division of the junior men’s category.
The Niños also won four golds in the the poomsae event. Aidaine Laxa won the individual junior women’s category and joined Cheyena dela Fuente and Chia Besañes to win the team junior women’s category. Nichole Maurin, Lee Navales, and Johnsey Sanchez teamed up to win the team senior women’s event, while Aldrein Abrio, Scott Hermosa, and Lyan Llanto snagged the gold in the team senior and junior men’s category.
Brothers Marc Norman and Norman Joseph Enriquez snagged a gold medal for Cebu in the lawn tennis doubles event, while Glendo Nayre and Val Stephen Jaca won a gold for Cebu City in the men’s doubles category of table tennis.
Dexter Tabquie nabbed two gold medals in weightlifting, one in the junior open and the other in the 85-kg category.
Cebu Province
On the other hand, Cebu Province nabbed a total of six gold medals in the kyorugi and poomsae events of taekwondo. Melody Jane Infante won the bantamweight division, Mayn Coran topped the lightweight category,and Ellen Joy Villacarlos was victorious in the welterweight division of the junior women’s event.
In the poomsae event, Shane Nasayao topped the Individual Junior Men’s event, while Philippine national team member McAvynger Alob won the gold in the individual senior men’s event. Nasayao and Althena Nasayo also topped the mixed pair Junior event.
As of 4 p.m., Mandaluyong City was in second place with 20 golds, 10 silvers, and 10 bronzes, while Baguio City was in third place with 16-25-22. (EKA, Yvonne Inosante Saldua, CNU Intern)