THE Cebu City Niños overpowered their opponents in the secondary basketball and elementary football championships, capping up another dominant stint in the 2017 Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) yesterday.
The Niños clinched their 25 straight overall title with an official tally of 121 gold medals, 58 silver medals and 65 bronze medals as of 6 p.m. yesterday. The medal tally can change as the medals in chess, archery, sepak takraw, futsal, lawn tennis and secondary football are yet to be counted.
Cebu City improved their performance from last year, when it got 113 gold medals, 71 silver medals and 59 bronze medals. On the other hand, Cebu Province proved to be the surprise this year, climbing to second place with a 32-33-41 medal haul after finishing fourth last year.
Last year’s second placer Mandaue City (26-38-38), Bohol Province (24-33-70) and Lapu-Lapu City (21-31-28) are all jacking up for position in the overall Top 5.
Joining the Top 10 teams are Tagbilaran City (19-18-21), Danao City (17-28-23), Talisay City (6-12-14), City of Naga (7-8-18) and Bogo City (5-4-9).
The Niños showed a fitting exit to their 2017 Cviraa campaign with dominating wins in the team event both against Bohol Province.
The Niños defeated Bohol Province, 90-81, at the jam-packed Enan Chiong Activity Center (Ecac) to win the gold medal. The Niños caught fire early in the first quarter, 31-16, and never surrendered the lead . Cebu City, represented by University of Visayas, had a 25-point lead after the third quarter.
The Niños elementary football was just as dominating, routing Bohol, 8-0 at the Teodoro Mendiola Sr. Track and Field Oval. Simon del Campo and Andres Custado led the team with two goals apiece. Del Campo hit the net in the 19th and 20th minutes, Custado scored in the 31st and 42nd minute. The other scorers were Joseph Garces , John Osbe and Nathan Lingatong.
In archery, Cebu won 14 golds thanks to the brilliant showing of Lloyd Padawan and Khalyn Alyx Abella. Padawan nabbed six gold medals in the secondary boys’ 30-meter, 50m, 60m, 70m, overall fita and Olympic round, while Abella won the secondary girls’ 30m, 40m, 50m, 60m, overall fita and Olympic round.
Cebu City also won the boys’ team event and mixed team event, while Lapu-Lapu City topped the girls’ team event.
The spikers of Cebu City were unstoppable in the secondary boys’ and girls’ division, beating Cebu Province for the boys’ crown and Mandaue City for the girls title.
Mandaue City bounced back and defeated Cebu City, 26-24-,21-25,25-21, in the elementary boys’ volleyball. Cebu Province won against Mandaue City, 25-18, 25-13, in the girls’ elementary.
Cebu Province won gold medal in baseball, while Cebu City both topped the softball secondary girls’ and elementary girls’.
In boxing, Arvin Belarma of Cebu Provinc, Lester Dayanan of Mandaue City, King Justy Ala Villamor of Mandaue City, John Niño Vega of Cebu Province and Berland Robles of Talisay City won the gold medals.