Fuentes, Nevado deliver medals in invit’l canoe sprint

MANILA, Philippines - Ojay Fuentes and Reymart Nevado delivered one gold medal and two silvers for lean Team Philippines in the 2014 Singapore Invitational Canoe Sprint Junior Cup/Southeast Asian Canoe Sprint Championships Juniors recently at MacRitchie Reservoir in Singapore.

Fuentes, 16, topped the field in the 200-meter C1 Junior men’s final, logging 46:54 to beat Thai Thiraphong Ratkhamhaeng (47:65) and Singaporeans Chong Koi Kiat (49:26) and Justin Lee Zheng Yhing (54.54) for the mint.

Cebuano Fuentes earlier took the silver in the 500-m C1 race, where he posted 2:10.32 to finish behind Thiraphong, who clocked a winning 2:08.38. Singapore paddler, Muhd Syazwan Bin Mohd Seman (2:23.44) grabbed third spot while countryman Ma Sung Jung (2:23.64), placed fourth.

Nevado narrowly missed the gold in the 1,000m C1 competition, where his 4:44.95 effort fell short against winner Thiraphong. Hometown bet Chong Koi Kiat (4:47.37) won the bronze while compatriot Ma Sung Jun (5:09.26) finished No. 4.

The two-member Philippine team wound up fourth overall in the five-nation tourney ruled by Thailand, which flexed its muscles with a 14-gold, three-silver and five-bronze collection.

The Thais romped off with the crown in 1,000m C1 and C2 divisions in junior men’s; 1,000m K1 and K2 events in women’s; 500m C1 and C2 junior men’s; 500m K1 and K2 junior women’s; 200m K1 and K2 junior women’s; and 200m C1 ad C2 junior men’s.

Thanyaluk Aoenthachai won four golds (individual and doubles races) for Thailand while Manita Neprom, Attaphong Noikhamsin, Woratham Boonyuhong, and Cholnica Sunarak accounted for three mints apiece.

Host Singapore, behind multi-titled bet Tan Jia Jie, took No. 2 in the medal tally with nine golds 11 silvers and 18 bronzes.

Malaysia had the same number of gold as the Philippines, one courtesy of Akmal Idayu Binti Mat Razik, Nor Azita Binti Ibrahim, Nusaibah Syahida Binti Ibrahim and Nur Ain Syahirah Binti Zulkifli in the 200m K4 junior women’s race. But the Malaysians got nine silver and two bronze medals to finish ahead of Phl at third.

Hong Kong, which failed to win a medal, was at the rear in the five-day competitions.