Tagum City—Young archers from Cotabato bared their fangs early as they clinched the first gold medals in the Mindanao leg of the 2019 Batang Pinoy Monday at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism archery range here.
Grace Signacion and Rhyniyll Yvis Endaya bannered South Cotabato after topping the girls’ yeoman 20-meter and girls’ bowman 30-meter (72 arrows) events, while Romee Jonathan Rioja and Justin Matthew Basadre of Koronadal City ruled the boys’ yeoman 20-meter and boys’ bowman 30-meter (72 arrows) events in the opening salvo of this prestigious tourney for young athletes 15-years old and below.
Signacion, who turned 10 last Sunday, fired 328 points to dominate the first round before marching back in the second round with 319 points to tally a total score of 647 points en route to a golden finish.
Samantha Isabel Loreno of Koranadal City and Khrizleyn Hope Ferrer of South Cotabato fell short, scoring 605 and 546 points for silver and bronze medals, respectively.
“I’m so happy that I won,” said Signacion, adding that the sweet victory in this tourney backed by STI College-Tagum and Alfalink Total Solutions Corp. and organized by the Philippine Sports Commission was a fitting birthday gift for her.
“I dedicate this victory to my mother, who encouraged me to take up the sport,” she said.
Meanwhile, the 12-year-old Endaya, who studies with Signacion at the Central Elementary School in Surallah town in South Cotabato, struck gold after registering 324 and 310 points for a total of 634 total points.
She bested South Cotabato’s Ge-Anne Gasendo (601) and Davao City’s Althea Kelly Odiong (593 points), who settled for the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
In the boys’ side, Rioja posted 551 points from a two-round 244-307 tally to claim the mint, edging South Cotabato’s Karl David Mejillano (497) and fellow Koronadal bet Paul Yrwan Bader (404).
Basadre, for his part, scored 624 points to grab the gold medal, while South Cotabato’s Quin Myer Loreno (614) and Mark Jubert Lapiad (611) settled for consolation silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Mixed team and Olympic round events are still being disputed at press time with Signacion, Endaya, Rioja and Basadre looking to win a pair of additional gold medals.
Also still ongoing are the forms competition in arnis at the City Mall and the seven-round rapid event in chess at the Bulwagang Pangkarunungan.
Elimination rounds in tunggal, ganda and regu in pencak silat are also still being played at the Robinson’s Mall, while dancesport still remains in full swing at the RDR Gym.