DAVAO DEL NORTE – Davao City banked on its swimmers to clinch the overall championship at the close of the 2019 Batang Pinoy Mindanao leg Saturday in the City of Tagum here.
The Davaoeños harvested 17 gold medals in the three-day swimming competitions while also drawing strength from arnis and athletics with six golds each to finish the weeklong grassroots multi-sport event with 56 gold, 39 silver and 58 bronze medals.
Liaa Margarette Amoguis spearheaded the Davao City tankers with victories in the girls 12-under 200m individual medley, 100m butterfly, 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle relay while teammate Juliana Marie Villanueva reigned supreme in the girls 15-under 400m free, 800m free and 400m IM.
Trackster Bea Burbe also delivered for Davao City with triumphs in the girls 100m, 200m and 4x400m relay with Princess Nina Chryszel Aria, Lissel Bajenting and Kate Duffy Gel McDowell.
Among the sports which Davao City won medals were taekwondo (4), karatedo (4), futsal (4), basketball (1), baseball (1), chess (1), dancesport (1), tennis (1) and badminton (1).
Davao City sent 402 athletes supported by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Cagayan de Oro was at far second with 33 golds, 23 silvers and 42 bronze medals with Lady Jane Payla (jr grils pinweight), Angelo Lofranco (jr boys pin), Jhasli John Illudar (jr boys light fly) and Rhein Jhon Gidor (jr boys fly) bringing home boxing golds.
General Santos City came in third with 27 golds, 33 silvers and 31 bronzes, followed by Davao del Norte with 24-25-24 (gold-silver-bronze) medals.
Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte also showed its strength in athletics by pocketing eight gold medals including four from Aaron Gumban in boys 13-15 5000m, 2000m steeplechase, 500m and 4x400m relay with Frits Gian Anasco, Dominic Jhon Gorre and Jomel Mosquiter.
Mosquiter delivered two golds in 110m hurdles and high jump while Gorre added two mints in 400m and 800m.
Koronadal City finished fifth with 22-12-9 gold-silver-medal haul — 20 of those coming from its archers led by the meet’s most bemedalled athlete, John Carlo Loreno. (Kristel Satumbaga)
