Tuesday, May 06, 2008 Kapampangan lad wins gold at Palaro
ARAYAT -- A twelve-year-old boy from Barangay Poblacion here has won a first ever gold medal for the municipality in the Palarong Pambansa held in Puerto Princesa, Palawan recently.
John Rainart Onofre Santos, son of Dr. Rene Santos and Raquel Santos, earned a milestone for himself and his family as well as for the whole municipality of Arayat and for the Arayat Pampanga Taekwondo Club (APTC).
APTC, the club where Santos belongs, has been producing jins who are not only ready for competitions but more ready to win medals and earn some respect from their counterparts from different competitions.
During the recent Pampanga Open Taekwondo Tournament held at SM City Pampanga, APTC entries bagged several medals including Justin Franz Mercado (gold), Reniza Diaz and Sheena Mae Reyes (silver), Yves Peter Carlo Medina and Azur Nasserpal Diaz (bronze).
Santos was also the gold medalist in the recent CLRAA meet in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, besting other participants all over Central Luzon including the long time favorite entries from Bulacan.
Other APTC members who were winners in the recent CLRAA meet include Medina (silver), and Diaz (bronze).
Meanwhile, all entries that are members of the club won first place during the Pampanga Division Meet on December 16. The first placers include Santos, Medina, John Ray Ortaliz and Diaz.
Santos is under the tutelage of coach Fitzgerald Cuntapay.
For his part, Mayor Chito Espino said he will recommend that athletes in the province should be given assistance for the pride that they giving the province.
Espino said he will start in his hometown and will urge the Municipal Council here to make a resolution providing assistance for the athletes in Arayat. (RCG)
