Cebu grabs 9 more golds in US dancesport tourney

The graceful Cebuano dance athletes forming the core of Dancesport-Team Cebu City left their American rivals in total awe after hauling a total of 11 gold, three silver and one bronze medals in the 38th International Grand Ball Dancesport Championship yesterday in San Francisco, California.

Dancesport-Team Cebu City, which opened its campaign with only a pair of golds, struck nine more golds in the penultimate action of the three-day contest.

Leading the second day charge of Cebu bets are the tandems of Ricca Alix/Renante Saldua and real-life couple Jojie and Jonah del Rosario with three golds apiece.

Alix and Saldua basked in the glow of golden performances in the open silver quickstep foxtrot and waltz categories, while the Del Rosarios kept their perfect chemistry to lord it over in the open gold tango and waltz adult 1 category as well as in the open adult pre-novice latin competition.

Lowell Bernados and Jeanen Bergado settled for two silvers in the open gold waltz and tango behind the Del Rosarios.

Not to be outdone, Dancesport-TCC directress Eleanor Hayco and head coach Loloi Rendon showed a class of their own to grab two golds via the open gold tango and foxtrot adult 2 events.

Jimmy Noel and Karla Fornolles produced Cebu's ninth gold of the day by dominating the open adult pre-championship latin action.

Noel and Fornolles got the adjudicators' nod with their impressive performances in all four dances featuring chacha, samba, rumba and jive.

"The Americans were amazed.They looked at the team with a snobbish look yesterday before the competition, but after we started winning, it was - go Cebu City! The feeling is beyond description," said councilor Sylvan "Jack" Jakosalem in a text message to The Freeman.

Jakosalem accompanied the lean but mean Dancesport-TCC along with vice mayor Michael Rama and councilors Joy Resquerra and Procopio Fernandez.

More golds are expected from DTCC when the event closes down last night (this morning RP time) as of this writing.

"The team is deeply grateful to Mayor Tomas Osmeña for giving the athletes the once-in-a-lifetime chance to compete in the U.S. and for his unwaving faith and trust in the team," said Dancesport-TCC director Edward Hayco.

"The competition is an intimidating arena of athletes as it is an international event, but through months of intense practice and prayers, the team was given opportunity to bring honor to Cebu City,"added Hayco.