Saturday, July 26, 2008 NegOcc athletes lead in POF Visayas leg By Henry C. Villalva
NEGROS Occidental athletes have been doing good so far in the ongoing 3rd Philippine Olympic Festival.
The athletes at the Perdices Sports Complex in Dumaguete City have already pocketed a whopping 28 gold medals, including 18 of 20 at stake in badminton on opening day alone.
The Negrenses were led by Katrina Trish Isiderio, Rolando Liberas and Felyn Dolloso, who delivered a gold medal each as they continued to pace the field particularly in athletics even as Akizy Pama ignited the seven-gold haul in taekwondo to complete the Negrenses' opening day dominance.
The 16-year old Isiderio ruled the girls' 100-meter dash in 13.4 seconds; Liberas topped the century dash boys' side with a time of 11.7 seconds; and Fellyn Dolloso in girls' triple jump in 9.68 meters at the start of track and field competition.
"I'm happy I won," said Isiderio, a student of Trinity Christian School in Bacolod City, who triumphed over teammate Anna Marie Jagocoy (13.82) and Iloilo Province bet Seena Pabila (13.90).
Liberas reigned supreme over provincemate Anton Apua (11.9) and Iloilo's Niño Espinos (12.00).
Meanwhile, Pama prevailed over Julius Cordova of Wolfhound Taekwondo to pocket the finweight gold allowing the rest -- Meynard Marticio (featherweight), Daphnie Alindogan (flyweight), Jennifer Almodiel (featherweight), Christine Terese Chul (finweight), Louise Dedase (bantamweight) and Rubilym Mapa (bantamweight) -- to snatch a mint each.
But over at the Siliman University football pitch, host Negros Oriental edged Negros Occidental, represented by San Carlos City, 2-1, in football even as pre-tournament favorite Iloilo, represented by Barotac Nuevo, drubbed Cebu City, 6-2, to jumpstart its title campaign in the POF.
POF is organized by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) chairman Robert Aventajado and backed by Globe, Philippine Gaming Corp., Summit Drinking Water, AMA Computer University and Creativity Lounge.
