GENERAL SANTOS CITY — A rising archer from the South Cotabato town of Norala delivered the first gold medal for the province on Monday in the 2018 Batang Pinoy national championship in Baguio City.
Quin Myer Loreno, Grade 5 pupil of the Puti Elementary School in Norala, topped the Olympic Round Yeoman-boys category during the opening matches held at Benguet State University.
The 10-year-old Lorenk, who qualified for the national finals for the first time, also snatched a bronze medal in the Single Fita event.
Loreno’s feat anchored the South Cotabato delegation’s five-medal haul in archery in the opening day of the week-long games.
Rheanne Gasendo won a silver medal in Olympic Round Bowman-girls category and a bronze in the Single Fita Bowman-girls while Grace Signacion took the silver medal in the Single Fita Yeoman-girls.
The three medalists are set to receive cash incentives from the provincial government.
“Ang akon cash incentives, ibakal ko ka baboy (I want to use my cash incentives to buy a pig),” the rising archer said in an interview on Tuesday.
Loreno said he intends to grow his earnings so he can buy his own brand new bow.
“It would be nice to use a new bow during my practices and future competitions,” he said in the vernacular.
In all his competitions, Loreno just settled for a “hand-me-down” bow and arrow from his cousin John Carlo.
He said John Carlo and another cousin, Samantha, who are also competing in the Batang Pinoy finals representing Koronadal City, inspired and encouraged him to play the sport.
Fondly called “Toto” by his coach and teammates, Loreno said he will use his experience in the grassroots games to further excel in the sport.
After getting his first-ever gold medal, he hopes to win more in future events, among them the local meets and the Palarong Pambansa.
Loreno made his debut in archery competitions in 2017 when he joined the Koronadal City-leg of the World Archery Philippines series, winning a silver and bronze medal.
He later competed in the provincial meet and the Soccsksargen Regional Athletic Association meets, where he each won a silver medal. (Hydee Templonuevo/PNA)
