05/29/2011
BACOLOD — Billiards artists Rubilen Amit and Jeff de Luna, wrestler Margarito Angana, soft tennis player Joseph Arcilla, and archers Mark Javier and Crizabelle Merto all made their marks yesterday to prove their worth in the Philippine team to the Southeast Asian Games.
Amit brushed aside the challenge from Mary Ann Basas, winning 11-7 for the gold medal in women’s singles of the 9-ball event at the Gaisano Hall, while De Luna crushed Delfin Tugado in men’s singles at the penultimate day of the POC-PSC 2011 Nation Games here Saturday.
It was nothing but a showcase of skills and talents for most of the national athletes, especially for Amit, a well-decorated veteran of several international tournaments who nonetheless expressed elation in seeing action for the first time in the week-long event serving as part of the selection process for Philippine team to Seag.
“This is my first PNG and I’m very happy to succeed in the competition. At least, I know I survived the challenges coming from the aspiring ones,” said Amit, 29, and the world women 10-ball champion in 2008.
Amit, also the 2009 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist in 8-ball and 9-ball singles, added that her victory served as a tune-up before she flies to Shanghai to take part in the China Open championship starting on June 9.
Over at the Bacolod Arts Center, Angana flashed the form that won for him the gold in Laos Sea Games, turning back fellow Zamboangueño Jesus Rabadon for the gold in Greco-roman 55-kgs, while Excel Tubog defeated Rodolfo Alcansantos for the title in the Greco-Roman 50-kgs, before Melchor Tumasis defeated Jonathan Maquilan for the gold in the Greco-roman 60-kgs.
Other winners in wrestling were Roxel Jandog (Greco-roman 66-kgs), Michael Baletin (Greco-roman 74-kgs), Karlo Sevilla (Greco-roman 84-kgs), Walden Carbonell (Greco-roman 96-kgs) and Robertson Torres (Greco-roman 120-kgs).
Another SEA Games champion, Arcilla, made his presence felt in soft tennis at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos outdoor court, by beating teammate Jhomar Arcilla for the gold in the men’s singles, while Noelle Conchita Zoleta was just too strong for fellow national team mainstay Divina Escala in the finals of the women’s singles.
Wushu artist Denver Parantac, returning to action only last December after missing it for five years due to studies, won the male title in Nan Quan event for ages 19 to 30, garnering 9.05 point average. He defeated his own protégée — Thornton Quieney Lou Sayan — in the event held at the Negros Occidental Multi-purpose Center.
Mary Joyce Wally topped the female side of Nan Quan (for ages 19 to 30), with an 8.5 points average from three judges. Alecxis Gomez triumphed in Nan Quan for female 13-18 bracket with 8.4 points while Jean Michael Salazar crushed the oppositions to win the Nan Quan male side (13-18 age bracket) with 9.05 points.
The day also belonged to Vanessa Chan, a national player, who shone in female San Lu Quan event for ages 7 to 12, with 8.86 points.
In lawn tennis finals held at Noah’s Haven Tennis Club, Clarise Patrimonio won the women’s singles title at the expense of her elder sister Christine, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3. The Patrimonio sisters, daughters of ex-PBA cager Alvin Patrimonio, then worked in tandem to beat Marian Capadocia and Tamitha Nguyen, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 for the gold in women’s doubles.
Elbert Anasta defeated Israel Abarquez, 6-4, 6-3 to take the men’s singles, while Leander Lazaro teamed up with Dheo Talatayod and disposed of Elbert Anasta and Jessie Divinagracia Jr. 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to clinch the men’s doubles title.
A minor accident marred the triathlon event in Silay City involving top favorite Philip Jurolan who was hit by a motorcycle during the 20-kilometer bike event.
Jurolan, who was the country’s bet during the 2nd Asian Beach Games in Muscat, Oman last year, sustained bruises in different parts of body and his bike damaged as a result of the mishap which happened a few meters after the turning point inside city proper in Talisay.
With Jurolan out of the race, his closest pursuer – Kevin Lyndonn Eijansantos – who was going third in the 500-meter swim event, benefited much in the process as he eventually won the race for the gold.
The 18-year-old resident of Filinvest in Quezon City and student of PSBA (Philippine School of Business Administration) clocked 11 minutes and 59 seconds in 750-meter swim at Marina-Pacific Shore, 33:28 in 20-km bike (covering Silay-Talisay stretch) and 22:19 in 5-km running event (inside Talisay) for a total of 1:07:46.
Mary Pauline Fornea, 17, captured the gold in women’s side in 1:23:03 (13:59 swim, 43:37 bike, and 25:27 run).
Finals in most of the ballgames will be concluded today.
Later in the day, Bejing Olympian Mark Javier and Marie Crizabelle Merto joined the ranks of gold medal winners by topping the male and female divisions of 70-meter Olympic round of recurve event in archery competition at the Doña Monserrat High School grounds in Silay City.
Javier, 29, whipped Paul de la Cruz, 6-2, while Merto, 16, subdued Stephanie Azaria, 6-4, for the title.
