Pasig City's Princess Faith Gonzales (fourth from left) with her teammates in a group photo taken during the Philippine National Games at the Cebu Center Sports on Wednesday. (Photo by Jean T. Malanum)
CEBU CITY -- Princess Faith Gonzales is happy to have contributed to Pasig City's medal haul in the Philippine National Games here.
Seeing action in the girls' youth division, the 17-year-old athlete from Barangay Palatiw debuted in the tournament with a gold medal in high jump, a silver medal in triple jump and bronze medals in long jump and 4x100 meters relay (with Ma. Cristina Caitum, Ericka Carag and Joyce Lynne Joie Custinor).
"Expect the unexpected," said the 5-foot-4 Gonzales, an incoming Grade 12 student at Rizal High School, in an interview on Wednesday at the Cebu City Sports Center oval.
"'Yung mga pinapangarap natin dati, makakamit natin sa tamang panahon [What we dreamt before, we will achieve at the right time]," said Gonzales, the only girl among seven siblings. Her father is a security guard while her mother is a plain housewife.
The PNG is only the second major competition for Gonzales, who joined the Palarong Pambansa in Vigan City last month and finished fourth in the triple jump event.
"Ginawa ko naman ang lahat. Pero maraming magagaling na atleta sa Palarong Pambansa kaya nag-fourth lang ako [I did my best. But there are many good athletes in the Palarong Pambansa that's why I only placed fourth]," said Gonzales, who was in Grade 5 at the Palatiw Elementary School when she was introduced to the sport by the school's coach, Sherylle Valenzuela.
"Alam ko na marami pa akong dapat na matutunan. At pipilitin ko na maging mahusay para manalo ng mas maraming medalya sa hinaharap [I know that I need to learn a lot. And I will try to become a better athlete so I can win more medals in the future]," said Gonzales, who looks up to long jumper Katherine "Kay" Santos, a former member of the national team.
The Pasig City athletics squad headed by coach Emmanuel Rivera also got two golds coming from Carlos De Imus (youth boys' 5,000-meters walk) and Alana Julliane Halaguena (youth girls' 5,000-meters walk).
Tracy Baylon clinched the silver medal in the long jump event while De Imus, Joselito Bion, John Samson and Jirriel John Aytona delivered the bronze medal in the 4x100 meters relay event of the tournament organized by the Philippine Sports Commission and supported by Smart and STI.
Meanwhile, Makati City pocketed three gold medals in the junior boys division of the taekwondo Kyurogi competition being held at the SM Seaside Mall.
Marco Tui topped the flyweight category, Jemuel Rendora ruled the lightweight class and Justin Agno dominated the middleweight category.
The other gold winners were Iligan City's Vel Sam Andos (light middleweight), Bulacan's Marco Antonio Rubio (welterweight) and GenSan's Kent Joshua Mangaardia (light heavyweight).
In the junior girls division, the gold medalists were Cebu City's Charlotte Aquino (finweight); Cebu Province's Melody Jane Infante (bantamweight), Mayn Yengele Coran (lightweight) and Ellen Joy Villacarlos (welterweight); Muntinlupa's Mikole Medina (middleweight) and Baguio City's Ashley Janel Salao.
Over at the Robinson's Galleria Atrium, Cebu City's Glendo Nayre and Val Stephen Jaca won the men's doubles event in table tennis. Also winning their respective events were Bacolod City's Rose Jean Fadol and Emy Rose Dael (women's doubles) and Bacolod's Ryan Rodney Jacolo and Emy Rose Dael of Bacolod (mixed doubles).
In cycling, John Derrick Farr of Muntinlupa City won the men's elite while Lea Denise Belgira won the women's elite in the downhill event in Danao City. (PNA)
