Cebu dominates B Pinoy qualifier

MANILA, Philippines - Cebu City stamped its class in various fronts with Hipolito Banal Jr. and Jurel Jimenez highlighting the Cebuanos’ charge with emphatic victories in boxing in Day 3 of the Batang Pinoy in Dumaguete City yesterday.

Except for archery, topped by host Dumaguete City, Cebu City dominated badminton, table tennis, judo, taekwondo, chess and swimming to emerge as the virtual overall champion with a day left in the event for student-athletes 15 years old and below.

Cebu City collected 42 golds, 24 silvers and 23 bronzes in the event backed by Smart, Maynilad and Summit Natural Drinking Water.

At second place is Bacolod City with 26 golds, 20 silvers and 19 bronzes while Leyte has 18 golds, 12 silvers and 10 bronzes for third in the event supported by Milo, Jollibee, The British Council, Standard Insurance, Manila Bulletin, Negros Navigation-Super Ferry, Kids 3 Food Supplement and RELIV for Kids.

Dumaguete City topped archery with Crisha Mae Merto winning in the girls’ FITA double 18m round (481); Karl Kristian Mari in the boys’ FITA double 18m round (535) and Olympic round individual (131); Althea Nasha Dionaldo, Frances Pearl Liu at Chrisha Mae Merto in the girls’ team Olympic round (178); Churt Lozano, Karl Kristian Mari and Julian Teves in the boys’ team Olympic round (184), and the mixed team won by Karl Kristian Mari and Crisha Mae Merto (136).

Banal, younger brother of former Batang Pinoy silver medalist and pro boxer AJ, and Jimenez came away with impressive semifinal victories against their respective rivals in the paperweight (44 kilograms) and light pinweight (48kg) at the Robinsons Mall.

Banal, the 14-year-old Grade 6 student from Talamban Elementary School, overwhelmed Glen Mark Inojales of Tagbilaran City, 5-0, to claim a seat in the finals.

Jimenez needed just 26 seconds in the first round to dispose of June Rhay Angque of Dumaguete City and gain a crack at the gold.

Fritz Gerald Sagaad ruled the boys’ singles in badminton and Hannah Tudtud topped the girls’ singles. Sagaad later paired with Dexter Oballa to win the boys’ doubles gold while Tudtud and Jhunah Francisco bagged the gold in the girls’ doubles for Cebu.

Other winners for Cebu were Jeffrey Lauron (42 kg) and Christopher Odevere (55 kg) in judo while Dannel Jay Tormis ruled the boys’ singles and the mixed doubles gold medal with Diana Oliverio in table tennis. The gold in the girls’ singles, however, went to Emy Rose Dael of Bacolod city.

The gold medal in chess went to Jazelle Villarin in the girls category with her score of 4.5 points while Jethro Esplanada of Leyte topped the boys division with his 5.0 points in the event which offers the winners a chance to become a member of the national pool which will be trained to compete in the second Youth Olympic Games to be held in Nanjing, China in 2014.