Labangon resident tops Revicon dribbling elims

A happy-go-lucky resident of barangay Labangon came out as the top qualifier in the Cebu leg of the Astig Revicon: Guinness Dribbling Challenge at the University of San Carlos-Talamban Campus yesterday.

Rey Gubaton, a 5'7 basketball enthusiast, will lead the Visayas qualifiers to the National Finals set on October 28.

Gubaton dribbled around an obstacle course in 17.85 seconds in the seventh and last round to emerge as the top qualifier.

Gubaton, whose father is a laborer and plain housewife for a mother, showed consistency all throughout to win the action.

The 28 year-old, Gubaton said he never expected to win and joined the event after being prodded by a barangay official to be a representative of Labangon.

Gubaton started with 18.41 seconds and then improved in the second round with 17.44 then came back with 18.41 seconds again before posting 17.75 and 17.85 in the next two rounds.

Gubaton was able to duplicate his sixth round time to outsmart early favorite Windchell Jayme, who was consistently on the top in most of the rounds.

Jayme settled for second in 18.09 while Rowel Pua was third in 18.31.

The fourth to 15th qualifiers include Micah Anthony Romero (18.41), Dave Carl Kintanar (18.44), Ryan Cahayagan (18.6), Garry Andamon (18.75), Kevin Stanley Sayson (18.85), Granvrir Nunez (18.91), Jaime Macasero, Jr. (19.16), Loumer Gerson (19.37), Jonry Yrsal (20 seconds), Billy Magdadaro (20.19) and Jeorge Gerzon with 20.19 seconds.

The real test for the longest dribbling for 15 local dribblers, however, is yet to come when they meet against the best of Dagupan, Davao and the Metro Manila area in the National Finals.

The qualifiers will be challenged to break the Guinness World record for the longest continuous dribbling owned by African-American Joseph Odhiambo, who dribbled for 26 hours and 40 minutes.