COMBATIVE sports continue to show the way for Baguio City as it wrests the lead in the overall standing with 17 gold, 14 silver and 21 bronze medals of the Batang Pinoy National Finals in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
Judo, after almost not making it to the national finals, contributed three gold medals in the first day of competition courtesy of Leerenz Tindaan (50 kgs), Aeron Kim (55 kgs), and Wright Lonogan (60 kgs) while adding two silvers and three bronze medals.
The Baguio judokas earlier called out an airline after missing their flight going to Palawan even as Gaudencio Gonzales of the City Sports Division said judo coaches together with some officials agreed to put behind their experience and deal with the problem after they get back to the city.
Muay Thai meanwhile had a field day with 10 golds, four silvers, and three bronze medals.
Leading the charge for the city’s Muay Thai squad in the 10–11 years old boys division are Jether Bab–anga (30 kgs), Azreal Duping (34 kgs), and Charlwayne Bannagad (38 kgs) while topping their weight class in 12–13 years old category are Larstephen Cañedo (44 kgs), and Edel Ali Ngina (46 kgs).
In the 12–13 girls division, Aira Nicole Mendoza dominated the 38 kgs while Krisna Malecdan topped the 40 kgs category.
The 14–15 years old category saw Francine Jade Velasco winning in the 38 kgs weight class together with Maria Isabel Malijana (42 kgs) and Ashlene Kia Malecdan (54 kgs).
Wrestler Jeremy Malicdan meanwhile grabbed a gold in the 40 kgs 10–11 years old while archer Ady Parayno shot for the gold in the cadet 30m girls.
Aleca Breana Dumseng and Andrei Roy Albert who earlier won two gold medals apiece in wushu taulo also added one more each for the Summer Capital.
Aldrener Igot, Jr. of Cebu City meanwhile bested Nathaniel Carlos of host Puerto Princesa, 6-2, Thursday in the cub boys’ Olympic round to clinch his sixth gold medal in archery.
Igot, 14, will have a chance to pocket two more golds and become the games’ most bemedaled athlete as he is scheduled to compete in today’s boys’ team with Khalil Jusper Abella and Kien Zhyron Torreon and mixed team with Densin Shane Dinopol.
Naina Dominique Tagle of Dumaguete, for her part, turned back Shane Dinopol of Cebu in the girls’ side to hike her total to five.
Magvrylle Matchino of Laguna took some of the thunder from the eagle-eyed Igot as she scooped up three gold medals to become centerpiece athletics’ best performer with a total haul with four mints and a silver.
Matchino, 14, anchored the girls’ 4x100m and 4x400m team of Janine Dauba, Evita Ruth Belloso and Kyla Elona to a pair of victories with clocking of 52.4 seconds and 4:17.30, respectively, and then won the 2000m steeplechase in 7:38.8 to add to her triumph in the 800m the day before. She had an extra silver in the 800m.
The other winners at the track were San Fernando, Pampanga’s Franz Michael Matos, Marvin Ramos, Andrei Luigi Bautista and Justin Cain Lingat (boys’ 4x100m), Negros Occidental’s Franzine Alamo (girls’ triple jump), Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte’s Aaron Gumban (boys’ 2000m steeplechase), Camarines Sur’s Gilbert Andrei Velasco (boys’ triple jump), and Baguio’s City’s Hussein Lorana (boys’ 1500m).