Ortiz new RP star, claims second gold

BANGKOK – Newcomer Janina Bianca "Binky" Ortiz emerged as the Philippines’ newest archery star Saturday by bagging the gold medal in the women’s compound individual event in the first Asian Grand Prix here.

The 20-year-old Ortiz, a UP Diliman Psychology junior who began competing only seven months ago, beat Singapore’s Leong Yoke Sim in the finals to clinch her second gold in the three-day tourney which also lured archers from Malaysia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Bhutan, Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong, Qatar, Laos, Australia and China.

Ortiz won her first gold in the 70-meter event last Thursday.

Another compound bet, PSA awardee Raul Ramon Arambulo, and the RP men’s recurve team of Christian Cubilla, Marvin Cordero and Arnold Rojas won a bronze medal each.

Arambulo took the men’s compound individual event with a score of 107 points. He also set two RP records – 659 in 70 meters, erasing Clint Sayo’s 615, and 173 in the 18-arrow elimination, eclipsing Earl Yap’s 166.

Arambulo’s 173 also surpassed the 169 Asian mark of Singapore’s Mark Seong set in Hong Kong in 2001.

Cubilla, Cordero and Rojas took the recurve team bronze by beating Bhutan, 223-213, after hurdling Kazakhstan, 224-223, and Japan, 247-233, in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

Rojas’ 10 spelled the difference in the win over the Kazakhs after Cubilla and Cordero had shot three and two 10s, respectively.

In the recurve individual event, Filipino archers Rachelle Anne Cabral and Jennifer Chan finished eighth and ninth in the women’s division while Rojas and Cordero landed 16th and 23rd in the men’s group.

Bernard Yap and Jed Roa ranked 19th and 20th in the men’s compound individual tiff.