Zamboanga City – The Philippine Army ended its swimming campaign with 5 golds and added 13 in taekwondo, 4 in athletics and 2 in chess on Wednesday to remain with the most number of wins on the third day of the 2024 ROTC Mindanao Leg at the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex here.
But it was Air Force cadet John Austin Hampac of Southern City College in Zamboanga City, who earned the title as the “Most Outstanding Swimmer” with five golds to his name.
“Na-overwhelm ako. Hindi ko inaasahan ito. Pasalamat ako sa Mahal na Diyos higit sa lahat at sa mga sumusuporta sa akin lalong-lalo sa school namin. Pangako kong pag-butihin ko pa sa parating na national finals sa Cavite,” said the 21-year-old Hampac, a first year Criminology student.
Also settling with five golds were Army cadets of Northern Mindanao College, Inc., in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte Reymond Pelisan and Jellie Somera and Navy cadet Haji Al-Jhaez of Zamboanga State College of Marine Science and Technology.
“Sa tingin ko, malaki ang aming tsansang mga Mindanawanon sa national finals. Kailangan lamang talaga na paghdaan ng maiigi ang kumpetisyon. I was a swimmer already since my elementary days,” said the 19-year-old freshman Jhaez.
The ROTC Games, a brainchild of Senate Majority Floor Leader Francis Tolentino, is held in coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission, Department of National Defense and Commission on Higher Education to strengthen discipline and camaraderie among cadets from the different schools and universities throughout the country.
There are more than 2,000 cadets all over Mindanao region participating in the week-long competition and the Philippine Army enjoyed the most number of units enabling them to see action in all events of the 15 sports disciplines being contested compared to the Philippine Air Force and Philippine Navy.
Each of the three branches of services in the Armed Forces conducted their own competition for their respective cadets so that three golds are being offered in every events, hence they are not paired against each other. Thus the bigger number of units has the advantage of participating in all events contested.
At the end of the aquatics event, the Army cadets gained 18 golds, while the Air Force cadets have 16 and 8 for the Navy Sailors.
In athletics at the JFEMSC track oval, both Army cadets and Air Force secured four golds each. Army’s Christian Villamor of Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology won the gold in the men’s long jump (5.87-m), while Ronalyn Suson of Tangub City Global College dominate the women’s 200-m run (28.1).
The Air Force competition had Alkidar Riban of Mindanao State University-Sulu campus winning the men’s long jump in 4.38-m and Kyla Rose Espiritu of Western Mindanao State University-Zamboanga City grabbed the women’s 200-m run in 31.7 seconds.
Winners in the Navy athletics were Alec Rowen Garcia of Zamboanga State College of Marine Science and Technology captured the gold in the men’s long jump (5:31-m) and Marian Abunda of the same school capturing the women’s 200-m run in 38.3 seconds.
John Barry Asdani likewise dominated the Air Force men’s 200-m contest (25.0) and Jerico Belagon of ZSCMST in the Navy competition while the Army collision saw Jerome Marc Basin dominating in 23.7 seconds.
In the shot put event, Mary Rose de Los Santos of WMSU ruled with a throw of 5.28-m for the Air Force and Anthnonette Nunez made 5.54-m for the women’s Army competition.
