NCR gymnasts open Palaro with six golds

SAN JOSE, ANTIQUE , Philippines  – Powerhouse National Capital Region dominated the field early at the Binirayan Sports Complex here yesterday, racking up six gold medals in gymnastics in the 2017 Palarong Pambansa ushered in by President Duterte over the weekend.

Divina Sembrano took the secondary girls rhythmic gymnastics gold while teammate Krystal Mae Maguidato grabbed the silver in the secondary girls’ rhythmic before the two powered the Big City to the team gold with 113.26 points.

Central Visayas settled for silver with 100.38 while Bicol took the bronze with 82.9.

Grabbing the opening day spotlight was Daniela Reggie dela Pisa, a cancer survivor from Cebu, who raked in three gold medals in secondary rhythmic gymnastics.

The 14-year-old University of Visayas lass topped the rope, ball and hoop events with 9.46, 9.80 and 9.72 points, respectively, and then capped her effort with a pair of bronzes in the club and the individual all around events.

NCR also took the elementary girls team gold and topped the elementary boys’ artistic gymnastics.

The boys’ squad finished with 92.550 points, besting Central Luzon with 87.900 with Calabarzon scoring 87.300 for third.

Nine-year-old Karl Eldrew Yulo took the elementary boys’ artistic gymnastics gold then teamed up with Joseph Reynado and Renz Castillo to pocket the team gold. 

The secondary boys artistic gymnastics squad delivered the sixth gold for the perennial overall champions.

Negros’ Kiana Alagaban, however, defeated NCR’s Breanna Labadan to snare the elementary individual gold and foil the Big City’s bid for a seventh mint.

Still, NCR’s dominating start in gymnastics set in motion its bid for a 13th straight overall championship. 

NCR topped last year’s edition with 68 golds, 32 silvers and 30 bronze medals in the secondary edition and had a 36-25-18 haul in the elementary level to run away with the overall title for the 12th straight year.

NCR is also expected to flex its muscle in centerpiece athletics, which unfurls today with eight golds up for grabs.

First to be disputed is the secondary girls 3,000m at 6 a.m., followed by the secondary boys javelin, elementary girls shotput, secondary boys long jump and elementary boys triple jump in the morning events.

Secondary girls javelin, elementary boys shot put and elementary girls long jump will be contested in the afternoon events of Day One.

Action also heats up in chess, football, archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, futsal, sepak takraw, softball, table tennis, taekwondo, lawn tennis and volleyball.

Joining Duterte in the opener were host Antique Gov. Rhodora Cadiao, Education Secretary Leonor Briones and San Jose Mayor Elmer Untaran. 

Track and field legend Elma Muros-Posadas and netter Marian Jade Capadocia lit the ceremonial cauldron while popular singer Jed Madela serenaded the 12,000 athletes, coaches and officials during the opening parade.