BAGUIO CITY – Baguio yielded the overall championship to a scorching surge of the Queen City of the South after the culmination of this year’s Philippine National Games held at Cebu last May 19-25, 2018.
Cebu city went on a tear on the last day of competitions, pocketing 11 gold medals: four in dancesport, two in arnis, and one each in tennis, duathlon, volleyball, sepak takraw, and softball, to pull away from a close battle with the City of Pines for bragging rights this year. When the dust settled, the overall medal standings after the last day of the week-long event showed Cebu City bagging 52 golds, 59 silvers, and 71 bronze medals to be crowned the 2018 PNG overall champion relegating defending champion Baguio City, which hauled 38 golds, 36 silvers, and 54 bronze medals, down to 2nd place.
At third place with 26 golds, 17 silvers, and 27 bronze medals is Mandaluyong City, while Cebu Province, with 18 golds, 18 silvers, and 28 bronze medals landed on fourth place. Mandaue City hauled 18 golds, 15 silvers, and 11 bronze medals to round the top five places.
Meanwhile, the Baguio Judokas ripped three more gold medals in the Juniors Division for Judo courtesy of Ortiz Tindaan (-55kg), Brandean Binwa Jr.(-60Kg), and Jedd Andre Kim (-81Kg) to hike Baguio City’s judo medal haul to 7 golds, 6 silvers, and 8 bronze medals. The total amassed by the local Judokas’ is a better showing of medal harvest than last year.
The spike in the medal haul was seen to be caused by the participation this year of representatives coming from different schools in the locality namely Saint Louis University, University of Baguio, University of the Cordilleras, Easter College, and the YMCA-Kaitagi Judo Club.
This was also because the player representatives went through selections during the Cordillera Judo Association PNG selection tournament conducted on October 19, 2017 which gave other talented Judokas from different Judo Clubs in the locality the chance to participate and be exposed in the National Games.
On the other hand, PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez presented in the culminating activities of this year’s PNG the provision of cash prizes amounting to 15M to the top five LGU representations. According to Fernandez, the cash prizes will serve as PSC’s assistance to the sports programs of the LGUs while adding that the PNG can be grounded as a venue for the selection of athletes for the Philippine Team in various sports discipline.
By: BOBBY VINLUAN
