Quizon completes Batang Pinoy golden treble

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte, Philippines – Whiz kid Daniel Quizon completed a golden treble in chess as he topped the boys’ 12-and-under rapid event even as Cagayan de Oro showed its might in boxing with a five-gold haul in the 2016 Batang Pinoy National Championship at the DavNor Sports and Tourism Complex here yesterday.

The 12-year-old Quizon, who represents Dasmariñas, Cavite, lost his seventh and final round game to Mark Jay Bacojo of Pasig City but still ended up solo champion with six points for his third gold after topping the standard and blitz events days before.

Bacojo ended up in a three-way tie for second with Nueva Ecija’s Jan Clifford Labog and Cebu City’s Jave Mareck Peteros on identical 5.5 points but skidded to fourth on tiebreaks.

Labog took the silver while Peteros won the bronze.

“This is an early Christmas gift for me,” said Quizon, who dreams of becoming a grandmaster some day like his idols Eugene Torre and reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway.

Quizon’s teammate, Kylen Joy Mordido, was not as fortunate as she failed in her bid for a third gold after winding up with a silver in the girls’ 13-17 division topped by Makati City’s Francois Marie Magpily.

North Cotabato’s John Marvin Miciano finally struck gold after a couple of failed attempts as he ruled the rapid event for boys 13-17.

Miciano, highest rated chesser here with a rating of 2232, finished with two silvers after losing on tiebreaks in blitz and coming in second in standard.

He made sure the rapid gold will not slip away from his hands.

Cagayan de Oro’s boxing rampage was made possible by victories from light pinweight John Vincent Pangga, junior light flyweight Marco John Rementizo in the boys side and Gina Casin (48kg), Marty Ann Laug (38kg) and Jolibeth Maglasang (40kg) in the women’s division at the Tagum Trade Center.

General Santos, where sports icon Sen. Manny Pacquiao hails from, raked in four golds thanks to pinweight Criz Russu Laurente, light bantam RV Denega and Angela Bianca Laurente (54kg) and Roxan Kapawan (57kg).

Davao City’s Junmilardo Ogayre, a self-professed Nonito Donaire fan, also took home a gold at the expense of Zamboanga del Sur’s Jerald Into in the lightweight class.

“I want to make it to the national team but my biggest dream is to become a Donaire,” said Ogayre, the sixth of eight siblings and the Davao Region Athletic Association and Mindanao Cup champion.

Junior flyweight Reymark Alicaba, bantam Richard Bulacan and pinweight Jean Miguillan provided golds for Davao del Sur while Panabo City, which owns one of the best regional programs in the country after producing an Olympian in Mark Anthony Barriga, got a mint from light paperweight Carl John Austria.

Another powerhouse boxing city, Bago, Negros Occidental, which produced Olympic silver medallist Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco and bronze medal winner Ruel Velasco, also claimed a gold thanks to light mosquito Rodel Gamo in the meet which drew a record 320 young boxers.

While all games have already concluded in Tagum, gymnastics and wushu will be staged in the National Capital Region starting Dec. 11 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and tomorrow at the Philsports Center in Pasig City, respectively.

In dancesports at the Rotary Park Gym, Cebu City danced its way to eight dancesports golds.

Lloyd Simon Asuque and Raylyn Jhea Romeo accounted for two golds each in the standard junior C and latin junior C events, an accomplishment matched by Andrew Ysla and Noelyn Mie Pedrano in the standard youth A and Latin youth A.