CEBU CITY. – A Central Visayas archer with a prominent name and two siblings from the National Capital Region emerged as the stars at the close of the Palarong Pambansa archery tournament at the South Properties range here Monday.
Dumaguete City’s Naina Dominique Tagle outclassed Manila’s Cassandra Louise Enecio 6-2 in the girls recurve Olympic round event for her fourth gold medal in the meet backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and Sen. Bong Go, who chairs the Senate Sports Committee.
Enecio bounced back to score a golden double, first anchoring the NCR squad that included Yohan Aquiza de Gula and Giulliana Vernice Garcia to a 6-2 whipping of the Ilocos Region trio of Leila Jeil Cano, Chloe Ysabelle Garduque and Iris Licudan in the women’s team event.
And in a bittersweet partnership for the last time, Enecio teamed up with elder brother Lawrence in dumping Central Luzon’s Ryssa Tiatco and Daron Chester Lovendino 6-2 for the mixed team gold.
Socksargen’s Maurice Keith Rodrigo narrowly beat Central Visayas’ Ralph Ivo Perocho 6-5 for the boys’ recurve gold while the Central Visayas team of Davayn Mason, Ralp Ivoh Perocho and Marco Angelo Villanueva shut out Ilocos Region’s Jemuelle Espiritu, Albert Bryan Quirob and Benedict Rosario 6-0 for the boys’ team gold.
“I am happy to be the most bemedalled (in archery) but the skill level has also levelled up,” said Tagle, 16, younger sister of 2017 Malaysia Southeast Asian Games silver medalist Nicole, who also won a silver medal and a bronze here.
She bagged six golds and two silvers in Marikina last year. Her other wins here were in the 60 and 70-meter events and FITA round.
“I gave all my archery equipment to Naina and decided to focus on my studies,” said Nicole, the standout at the 2016 Palaro edition in Legazpi City, Albay who is now completing her BS Accounting degree at Silliman U.
“I am happy that I won more golds here but sad as well since this is my last Palaro. At least Cassie (her sister’s) nickname will still be around,” said Lawrence, 18, the best boys high school archer with two golds, one silver and a bronze.
Cebu-based World Archery Philippines secretary general Rosendo Sombrio was pleased with the way the tournament was run, saying: “We used the latest scoring equipment and tried to give our athletes a small-scale Southeast Asian Games feel.”
Central Visayas took overall archery honors with five gold, three silver and two bronze medals, NCR was second (4-4-4) and surprising Ilocos Region was third (2-2-0).
In basketball at the San Carlos University gym, the National University Bullpups clobbered Central Luzon 86-71 to bag the boys basketball high school crown while NCR edged Calabarzon 27-29, 25-19, 19-25, 28-26, 16-14 for the boys high school volleyball title.
Chess players from NCR also bagged three golds in standard play, with Chanro Jed Atilano topping the individual event then combining with Marc Nemis for the team gold, while April Joy Claros and Ruelle Canino won the girls team championship.
NCR was poised to clinch its 17th overall championship in a row with a pacesetting tally of 77 gold, 60 silver and 88 bronzes. Region 4-A was a far second (56-35-50) and Western Visayas in third (51-34-39).
Davao Region hogged fourth place (29-25-32) and Central Visayas took fifth spot (28-40-36).
