Athletes' sons shine in Palaro

TARLAC Province, Philippines – Second generation athletes, headed by the son of a current owner of a national record in track and field and a younger brother of an emerging professional boxer, are making their marks in the ongoing Palarong Pambansa at the Tarlac Recreational Park here.

Patrick Unso, whose father Renato owns the 400-meter hurdles mark, made quite an impression when he shattered a pair of records in centerpiece track and field.

Hipolito Banal, whose elder brother AJ is the current super flyweight contender in pro boxing, bucked his height disadvantage and downed a bigger Holyfield Bayawa of Cordillera Administrative Region, 2-0, to barge into the finals of the ant weight or 32-kg division in elementary boxing. He faces NCR’s Wilfredo Pelongco III, who trounced Mimaropa’s Kent Jasper Fuentes, 5-0, for the gold.

On his way to the finals, Banal, who trains under the ALA Boxing Gym of Tony Aldeguer, upended Roberto Jalnaiz, son of former Olympian Roberto Sr., 17-14.

But Unso upstaged the rest with his feats.

The 16-year-old Unso dominated his rivals to rule the 400m and 110m hurdles in record-setting fashions.

In Day One, Unso erased the four-year old record of 55.7 seconds set by Jorge Pinanonang of Central Visayas in Naga City by clocking 54.1 seconds.

He faltered a little bit in Day Two when he sustained an ankle injury while trying to match the eight-year 1.90m mark by Paulo Martinez of Southern Tagalog in Naga City.

But Unso came back strong in Day Three as he ripped the 14.78-second mark owned by Mario Tabanio of Western Mindanao in Zamboanga City that stood for 18 long years with a 14.6-second clocking in the preliminary heats.