Ilagan poomsae bet bags first gold in Batang Pinoy

ILAGAN CITY, Isabela, Philippines — Little-known Eljay Marco Vista of host Ilagan City stole the spotlight from his more illustrious rivals as he topped poomsae in taekwondo yesterday and became the first gold medalist in the Luzon Leg of the 2019 Philippine Natonal Youth Games-Batang Pinoy at the Barangay San Felipe covered court here.

Ranged against Palarong Pambansa gold medal winners Kacey Canlas of Olongapo City and Wreily Canao of Baguio City, the 12-year-old Vista didn’t flinch as he came through with a performance to remember to snare the gold with a total score of 7.670 points.

Vista’s emergence relegated Canlas to silver and Canao to bronze with scores of 7.600 and 7.465, respectively, while elevating the former to one of his best efforts thus far since taking up the sport eight years ago.

“I didn’t expect to win because there are participants here who won a gold in the Palarong Pambansa,” said a teary-eyed Vista, a sixth-grader from Ilagan South Central School, in Filipino. “But I toughened up and just focused on winning.”

Vista said his next focus is the Palarong Pambansa in Davao City next month and the national team evaluation for a spot in the Jordan-bound squad next week.

 “I hope to make the national team,” he said.

Quezon City’s Ian Matthew Corton of Quezon City and Baguio City’s Aesha Kiara Oglayon also pocketed golds with the latter reigning supreme in the junior boys and Oglayon topping the cadet girls.

Corton scored 8.105 points in beating Quezon Province’s King Nash Alcairo (8.04) and Naga City’s Emmanuel Christopher (7.95) and Alicia, Isabela’s Carl John Viloria (7.88) while Oglayon elicited 7.82 in besting Baguio’s Khyla Kreanzzel Guinto (7.765), Parañaque’s Antonette Medallada of Parañaque with 7.65 and Princess Mariano of Pangasinan with 7.635.

In rapid chess, Dasmariñas, Cavite’s Mark Jay Bacojo trounced Nueva Vizcaya’s Jan Clifford Labog and drew with Laguna’s Jeremy Marticio to seize the solo lead with 4.5 points in the premier boys’ 15-under section.