ILAGAN, Isabela, Philippines – Local boy Wally Gacusan led the way as host Philippines copped four silver medals amid the foreign juggernaut at the start of the 12th Southeast Asian Youth Athletics Championships at the Ilagan City Sports Complex here yesterday.
Gacusan, 17, used his 175-meter (5-9 feet) height and strong built to leap to 1.81 meters – an effort that was good enough for runner-up honors in the high jump. Gold medal winner Vo Ngoc Long Cao of Vietnam set the bar early by registering a flat 2.0-m right on his very first attempt.
Filipino Janmell Francis Gervacio took the bronze with 1.70m.
“I’m happy because this my best performance and I did in my city,” said Gacusan
For his effort, Gacusan, a bronze medalist in last year’s Palarong Pambansa in Legazpi, Albay, is set to receive an incentive from Ilagan Mayor Evelyn Diaz.
According to Diaz, athletes from Ilagan City who will medal stand receive P10,000 for gold, P8,000 for silver and P5,000 for bronze.
Jason Jabol and Bernalyn Bejoy delivered the other two silver medals for the Philippines in boys’ long jump and girls’ 800m on a wet and rainy opening day that was dominated by Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.
Trexie dela Torre gave the Philippines another silver with her 5.33-m effort in girls’ long jump. Singapore’s Tia Louise Rozario ruled the event with 5.85m.
The Vietnamese had the most haul on Day One with four golds and a silver including a record-breaking victory by Thi Khanh Ny Ngo in the girls’ 800m. Thiclocked two minutes and 13.81 seconds to erase the two-year old meet record of 2:14.46 set by Thai Triyani Pamungkas in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.