Cabana breaks ice in Batang Pinoy

ILOCOS SUR, Philippines —Lucena City’s Kristian Yugo Cabana reaped the fruits of his hard labor as he delivered the Philippine Sports Commission’s Batang Pinoy National Championships’ first golden performance at the Quirino Stadium pool here yesterday.

The 12-year-old Grade 7 student from International School Lucena clocked two minutes and 29.50 seconds to seize the 200-meter individual medley gold, a feat he accomplished on his debut in the national stage.

“I was really happy and excited that I won and it was my best time – wasn’t really expecting it,” said Cabana, whose elder brother Yohan Mikhail was a UAAP swim gold medalist for University Santo Tomas.

Cabana is eyeing to harvest more medals as he is also set to compete in the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly, and 200m freestyle at press time and in the coming days in the swim meet that drew around 1,400 entries.

Kyle Louise Bulaga of La Union and Evenezir Polancos Jr. of General Santos City took the 200m IM mints while Jeanne Dominic Bongotan of Baguio, Stacey Bernice Requiza of Davao City, Peter Cyrus Dean of Lucena and Richelle Anne Callera of Quezon City struck gold in the 50m back.

Apart from swimming, a deluge of gold are expected in other disciplines like archery at the San Ildefonso Central School, centerpiece athletics in Bantay, cycling in front of the Provincial Capitol in Vigan and weightlifting at the Sta. Catalina Gym unfolding today.