Thursday, April 24, 2008 NM dribblers stay unbeaten, face NCR By Lynde Salgados
PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan -- Northern Mindanao's secondary dribblers face defending champion NCR Thursday in a battle of unbeaten teams in Palaro basketball competition at the always jampacked Paleco covered court.
"We can see in this elimination round game if we have a chance against the powerhouse NCR granting we can able to make it to the top-four," coach Boy Dacoco told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.
Coming from a come-from-behind 82-76 overtime win over the tough Central Visayas, NM squad Wednesday drubbed CAR region, 93-80 for its third-straight victory.
NMRAA's elementary basketeers were also undefeated in two matches. They crushed Region 7 by 44 points, 73-29 after pulling out a hard-earned 63-52 decision over Western Visayas during the opening day action.
"We keep on winning in the preliminary rounds pero ang problema kay grabe man sab ang paglatos sa NCR sa ilang mga kontra," said youthful coach Anthony Baisa.
Not to mention NCR's merciless stance in junior basketball, its elementary counterparts manhandled ARMM, 112-35 and ran roughshod over CAR region by 61 points, 103-42 to send shivers down the spine of its opposition from Visayas and Mindanao.
Local cage buffs passionately following the basketball games since day 1, however, avers Region 10 hoopsters stand a good chance of pulling off an upset over the Ryan Buenafe-led NCR in secondary action.
"We expect Region 10 to give NCR a lot of trouble. They mauled our Mimaropa team like no other," one Palawan folk said.
Meanwhile, a lethal blow hit the NMRAA boxers when paperweight Manrico Gemina was disqualified from competing in the quarter round while mosquito weight Macrea Gandiongco apparently lost in a controversial fashion.
"Sa mga manan-away, klaro kaayo nga daug sa puntos si Gandiongco. Ang points ra man sa kontra ang ilang gi-ihap," complained boxing coach Gene Olofernes. To Gemina's disqualification, Olofernes said the Palaro boxing committee disputed that his boxer was overaged by two months.
"Insakto lang ang edad ni Gemina pero lahi ilang interpretation sa cut-off year in boxing unlike sa uban nga events," Olofernes said.
Already, NMRAA won its first medal in ballgame competition.
The troika of Noelito Pacana, Bob Leonard Chiu and Bernan Lou Bering lost to Region 7, 14-6 to settle for silver in secondary boys lawn tennis team competition.
NMRAA's elementary netters are also poised to deliver a gold in table tennis boys team event after the tandem of Christian Palmero and Leonel Bustamante overwhelmed Cotabato Region, 3-0 and the heavily-favored NCR, 3-1 in the semifinal round.
"After we managed to beat the equally-dangerous pair from Visayas, nitaas ang confidence level sa mga bata. We are determined to win the title," vowed the diminutive table tennis mentor, Hermelo Dalman.
The fancied NMRAA taekwondo jins also opened their campaign yesterday at the Palawan State University (PCU) gymnasium with the hope of bringing home a dozen of golds in elementary and secondary boys and girls categories.
The taekwondo team is under close supervision of veteran coach George Arsenal and RP players Juan Ernesto Mendoza and JR Rivero.
"Gabayaran mi og dako para mo-train sa Manila pero akong kasingkasing naa man sa ato sa Cagayan de Oro. Suwerte sab kay best friend nako si JR," Mendoza said of the amiable brother of Beijing Olympics qualifier Antonette Rivero.
