Davao City's Randy "Yuri" D. Cortez and Milagros A. Sasin collected a total of one gold medal, two silvers and four bronzes in the 6th Miri International Dance Championship 2017 held at EastWood Valley Golf & Country Club in Miri, Malaysia over the weekend.
The 31-year-old Cortez of Matina and 66-year-old Sasin of Buhangin wowed the judges as they bested Brunei Darrusalam and Miri, Malaysia bets to capture the gold in Latin Open Combine Age 80 Years-Jive Category.
The Dabawenyo pair also salvaged silvers in Latin Open Combine Age 80 years-3 Dance and 2 Dance categories as well as bronzes in Latin Open Combine Age 70 years- 3 Dance and 2 Dance, Solo Dance ChaChaCha and Solo Dance Rumba categories.
Cortez, in a Facebook interview with SunStar Davao on Tuesday, said: "I can't explain the joy kasi marami talagang magagaling na competitors."
He, however, realized that winning is not everything as he also just enjoyed the competition and gained more friends from other countries.
"It was really a great pride and honor to bring the name of our country during the parade of nations," he said, adding that it was their first time to join the Miri event.
The champion duo, who have been dancing together for eight years now, also annexed golds in Latin Senior Category during the 23rd Come Dancing Cup, Open International Ballroom Dance Championship 2015 held in WanChai, Hong Kong and in Latin Senior 35 Open Category during the 15th Crystal Dance Sport Championship last August 27,2017 held at Berjaya Time Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Their feats earned them the Outstanding Athletes for Dancesport in the So Kim Cheng Sports Foundation Awards Night held July 22 this year.
Cortez and Sasin have been training at Kite Dance Studio and Performing Arts
located at corner Jacinto Street in Davao City. Both are members of the Filipinas Ballroom Amateur League (FiBa-AL) with head coach Denise L. Bunayog and chairwoman Jeannette Ortiz.