By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Tankers James Michael Ajido of Mandaluyong and Arvin Naeem Taguinota II splashed their way to a third gold medal while Baguio City flexed its might in wushu as action in the combined Philippine National Games and Batang Pinoy at various venues continued to heat up on Tuesday, Dec. 19.
A 14-year-old La Salle-Greenhills standout, Ajido turned the Rizal Memorial Complex pool into a virtual playground, ruling the 50-meter butterfly and the 100m backstroke to add to his 200m Individual Medley gold he copped the day before in the boys’ 13-15 class.
And there are more to be had as the Marikina Palarong Pambansa golden boy and record-breaker is also entered in other events that could possibly make him the star of the pool.
The 12-year-old Taguinota, meanwhile, reigned supreme in the 100m back in a minute and 5.63 seconds to join Ajido as the games’ first triple-gold winner.
Taguinota’s recent feat came after he ruled the 200m IM and 50m back for boys 8-12 in two minutes in Day One.
Meanwhile, Baguio cast is long, marauding shadow in wushu of the PNG at the Rizal Memorial Wushu Gym where it harvested four of the 10 gold medals staked courtesy of Bety Mae Churping (female 48kg), Krizan Faith Collado (female 52kg), Harizz Luyo (male 52kg), and Gerico Kiat-Ong (male 80kg).
The other wushu mints went to Davao City’s Jahaziel Care Barbero (female 56kg) and Vince Domingiano (male 60kg), Tabuk’s Yaman Jah Facunia (male 48kg) and Alester Tagure (male 56kg), Pasig’s Jermaine Cosmod (male 65kg) and Quezon’s Fiikkolei Joshua Emmanuel Caleja (male 70kg).
Over in Tagaytay, many-time Ronda Pilipinas champion Jan Paul Morales of Marikina ruled the criterium event of the PNG by clocking 49 minutes and 18.944 seconds ahead RR King Roque and Ryan Tugawin, who timed in 50:20.709 and 50:40.605, respectively.
In centerpiece athletics in the PNG at the PhilSports track oval in Pasig, former Southeast Asian Games marathon gold winner Christine Hallasgo captured the women’s 10,000m mint in 37:06.96.
The 30-year-old Malaybalay, Bukidnon native proved to be a cut above the rest as she crossed the finish line more than two minutes ahead of closest pursuer Artjoy Torregosa of Cebu City, who had 39:09.49 for the silver.
Bohol’s April Joy Alampayan snatched the bronze in 39:10.04 in this event organized by the Philippine Sports Commission chaired by Richard Bachmann.
