THE dance sports team struck six gold medals for Davao City to emerge overall champion with a total of 64 golds, 35 silvers and 27 bronzes in the Batang Pinoy Mindanao Leg that concluded Monday evening in Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental.
General Santos City was at distant second with 50 golds, 53 silvers and 58 bronzes while Davao del Norte placed third with 39 golds, 28 silvers and 42 bronzes.
Rounding up the top 10 were Zamboanga City (38-13-28) fourth, Koronadal City (28-31-41) fifth, Tagum City (28-29-23) sixth, Cotabato Province (26-25-20) seventh, South Cotabato (25-35-34) eighth, Iligan City (20-27-25) and Cagayan de Oro City (19-10-9).
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio, in a media interview yesterday, lauded the athletes, saying, "I'd like to congratulate the athletes. We wish them a safe trip back home. They made Davao City proud with their championship in the Batang Pinoy Games."
Davao City's tandem of Michael Clint Laguidao and Elezabeth Ranas topped the dancesports junior A standard event while fellow Dabawenyos Gavin Facci Tangara and Reyben Mari Semilla placed second. Panabo City's Charles Justine Catapan and Trancina Porol finished third.
The juvenile A standard gold went to John Ray Mateo and Leian Sumulong of Davao City. They bested their teammates Kalel Clark Delute and Zuriele Feona Villaflor (silver) and Mark John Lou Salido and Francheska Dezzly Darvin (bronze).
Irlich Christian Edullantes and Vanessa Modelo, for their part, clinched the junior C latin gold over Panabo's Catapan-Porol and Roland Rhyvyn Lasconia and Hazel Grace Hechanova who copped the silver and bronze, respectively.
Davao City also hauled the golds in juvenile C standard (John Ray Mateo and Leian Sumulong), juvenile D standard (Mark John Lou Alido and Francheska Dezzly Darvin Juvenile c standard) and junior C standard (Laguidao-Ranas) events. Kidapawan City ruled the junior A latin behind Zoie Trek Galanto and Cristy Ann Gutierrez and the junior D latin through the pair of Kian Nathaniel Abendan and Princess Lovella Mupada.
Koronadal City also pocketed two golds in juvenile C latin (Ronie Trinidad and Arjannah Margarette Brua) and juvenile A latin (Ronic Trinidad and Arjannah Margarette Brua Koronadal).
Girl’s athletics most valuable player (MVP) Andrea de Guia led Davao City's medal haul with four golds (girls 400m, 1,500m, 3,000m and 4X400m relay) but Davao City's arnis team provided the needed lift, giving the city 16 golds.
Davao City also collected golds in athletics, swimming, tennis, karatedo, taekwondo, boys and girls basketball, boys indoor volleyball, boys beach volleyball, boxing and chess.