Turks break Pinoy's hearts in world dancesport event

CEBU, Philippines – Even in dancesport, one could say the ball is round and a single point could mean the world for Turkey's Roman Ciflicli and Ipek Yavuzer as they edge out Cebuana Charlea Lagaras and her partner Ronnie Vergara to clinch the gold in the open amateur latin competition during the highly-successful 2010 Cebu IDSF World Dancesport Open and 5th Dancesport sa Sugbu the other night at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

Lagaras and Vergara, the country's top bets in open amateur latin, got all but one adjudicator's nod in the final battle, paving the way for the glamorous Turkey duo to have the last laugh.

It was heart-rending defeat for Lagaras and Vergara as they finished with a total of 43 points identical to that of Turkey's Ciflicli and Yavuzer as both pairs posted 43 total points.

But the sum of their places in five dances in the final round saw the couple from Turkey with seven points and Lagaras and Vergara to settle the tie under rule 9.

A check made by The Freeman on the two pairs' final standings saw Ciflicli and Yavuzer with three no.1 placings through the chachacha, samba and rhumba to get the seven points needed for the most cov-eted IDSF open gold, while Lagaras and Vergara topped only the pasa doble and jive to settle for the silver.

Bulgaria's Petrov Naidenov Georgia and Olga Eugenievna Sedova got the bronze with 16 points in the summary of places.

In dancesport, the smaller the total sum of places one gets from all the dances covered, the bigger the chances of winning.

Former top bet of Cebu, Dearlie Gerodias and John Erolle Melencio who represented Manila this time, could only place fourth, while another Bulgarian couple, Ivan Kostadinon Aristov and Pamela Georgieva Marova, landed fifth followed by Manila's Crisanto Parado and Ashley Nicole Luna.

In the amateur modern standard action, Australia's Antonio Micheli and Katerina Maximova were the hands down choice for the title over Bulgaria's Ivan Kostadinon Aristov and Pamela Georgieva Ma-rova. Pinoy siblings Brian James and Karla Ocaña got the bronze.

Cebu's bets ended fifth and sixth through the efforts of Bernie Tumarong and Miljane Camacho and Joel and Anabelle Madera.

The Ocañas bounced back though through the equally-exciting closed Asia action after defeating another Pinoy dance couple German Enriquez and Jeanfer Salas. Cebu's Tumarong and Camacho ended up with a bronze.

In the latin closed-Asia, Crisanto Parado and Ashley Nicole Luna bagged the gold after outclass-ing Cebu's Jefferson Pimentel and Daine Xylene Balili,while another bet from Manila Brian Lee Calo and Jocelyn Macopia wound up third.

Aside from failing to salvage a gold in the IDSF open and the closed-Asia battle, the Cebuanos also fumbled in dominating the 5th Dancesport sa Sugbu ruled by the Manila squad.

In an unofficial medal count, Manila raked in 12 golds, six silvers and 10 bronzes, while Cebu's bets honed mainly by Dancesport-Team Cebu City ended up with 10 golds, 10 silvers and nine bronzes.

Even if the gold Renante Saldua and Jooyoung Lee from the senior-3 dance standard class would be counted under the Queen City of the South, the latter would still miss the overall supremacy by a single gold.

Not all of Cebu's top dancesporters though joined the battle as they were focused on helping out in the hosting chores.

Under the modern standard, those who handed golds for Cebu City were Mae Pabuaya and Sam-son Orlanes (adult-3), Danilo Gagani and Princess Laurence Inocando (teacher-student-3A), Mark Rhony Flores and Michaelyn Ledaa ( adult 2-B), Ianperson Baruc and Noelyn Mie Pedrano (juvenile-2) and Mathew Luma-pas and Sharmaine Maloloy-on (youth-3 class).

Cebuanos got five golds in the latin discipline through Mae Pabuaya and Samson Orlanes again (adult-4), Wilbert Aunzo and Pearl Marie Cañeda (youth-5), Jimmy Noel and Mary Desiree Seraga (teacher-student-3A), John Paul Mocorro and Therese Andre Quilaton (junior-3) and siblings Rinzon and Reyana Mae Elarcosa (junior-5).

Those who delivered silver medals for Cebu City were Mark Rhony Flores and Michaelyn Ledda with two, Ralf Vincent Elarcosa and Paige Ianah Silud, Kim Arden Canoy and Tesalunika Bactol, Lark Jabon-ero and Mary Ann Ferrer, Roque and Rhea Marquez, and John Paul Mocorro and Therese Andre Quilaton, EO Lowen and Arielle Mhary Rendon, Jeffrey Benarao and Mae Paracuelles and Gabriel Gullim and Rhona Mae Rosales. (FREEMAN)