VIGAN, ILOCOS SUR -- The penultimate day of the Palarong Pambansa 2018 saw Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa) still struggling at ninth place overall despite another gold medal won by wrestler Noel Keith Castillano and four boxers set to fight for golds as of Friday.
Thus, Davraa accounted for 10 golds, 16 silvers and 19 bronzes as of 4 p.m. yesterday.
The 18-year-old Castillano, an incoming Grade 12 student at the University of Mindanao Tagum College (UMTC), waited four years to secure the coveted gold having ended up with two bronzes and one silver in his past three stints in the annual Palaro.
"Dugay sad nako ni gipaabot. Sa finals dako kaayo akong nakalaban pero nakuha ra nako gihapon sa ground og stand up techniques (I waited long for this. In the finals I was up against a bigger opponent but I used ground and stand techniques to beat him)," the third among four children of Noel, a food service staff at the Bishop Regan Memorial Hospital in Tagum City, and Esmyrna, a housewife, said in an interview with SunStar Davao via Facebook Live at their Ilocos Sur National High School quarters.
He was pertaining to Bicol Region's Aldrick Rodriguez whom he defeated to snatch the secondary boys wrestling 66 kg gold. Rodriguez got the silver while Jeg Espuerta of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao salvaged the bronze.
Castillano only weighed 55.2 kilograms. Playing a 66-kilogram rival was indeed a challenge for him. "Gamay ko pero yayay (I am small but tougher)," he laughed.
He added that winning the gold in his last Palaro appearance is an unforgettable experience, a legacy he wants to leave his region. He also urged fellow athletes to never give up on their dreams no matter how long it would take them to fulfill it.
Castillano plans to join more wrestling competitions, study Criminology in college and join the Philippine Air Force.
In Baluarte, Aliyah Rae Lumangtad added a silver in elementary girls standard event and a bronze in the individual event at the close of the chess competition Friday. She also pocketed two golds in elementary girls blitz team and individual events last Monday.
Four Davraa boxers advanced to the finals and were set to fight for golds at the Plaza Burgos here as of Friday.
John Yanis escaped past J. Amantiad of Western Visayas via split decision, 3-2, in their school boys pinweight semfinals bout Thursday evening.
Davraa boxers Christian Betonio, Jerald Fabricante, and Kim Delmar Macaangga also earned finals berths after defeating their respective opponents.
Betonio dominated Kim Bryan Cabrillos of Northern Mindanao in a unanimous decision victory in school boys flyweight division.
Fabricante also won via unanimous decision over Benson Habiling of Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in youth boys lightweight category while Macaangga prevailed over Central Visayas bet E. Sios, Jr, 3-2, in their youth boys light welterweight encounter.
But John Michael Diocares absorbed a heartbreaking 2-3 split decision loss to J. Brillo of Socsargen in youth boys flyweight class.
Coach Rolando Oring said his boys will be pitted against the best Palaro boxers and hopes they could win golds.
The swimming team had a medal shutout Friday following Thursday's record-smashing performance of Juliana Marien Villanueva in secondary girls’ 800-meter freestyle.