GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Soccksargen’s (Sox) arnis team won four more gold medals, fueling the region’s surprise surge to the top of the medal standings in the second day of thje ongoing 2018 Palarong Pambansa in Vigan City.
Team Sox already garnered a total of six gold medals as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, all coming from the early dominance of the elementary arnis team at the San Vicente municipal gymnasium.
After winning the region’s first two gold medals on Monday afternoon, ace arnisadores Princess Sheryl Valdez and Andrei Fritz Justine Alcarioto delivered four more several hours later to increase their haul to six.
The 12 year-old Valdez emerged as the most-bemedalled athlete as of the second day of the Palaro after winning four gold medals in individual and team events while Alcarioto captured two in individual events.
Valdez, who graduated from Grade 6 earlier this month at the New Isabella Elementary School in Tacurong City, topped the individual anyo solo baston, double baston and espada y daga events.
She also anchored her team’s gold medal performance in the synchronized girls anyo single baston event.
Alcarioto won the golds in individual anyo solo baston and espada y daga.
Teammate Christian Dave Bucio setteled for the bronze medal in individual anyo double baston.
Ryan Muyco, Soccsksargen’s elementary arnis coach, said they expect to capture more gold medals in the coming days.
He said Valdez and Alcarioto are slated to compete in several remaining events, including the “laban” events.
“We’re currently on track to get our target of at least 14 gold medals,” he said.
The arnis team delivered nine of the region’s 26 gold medals en route to its fifth overall finish in last year’s Palaro held in Antique.
Meantime, Soccsksargen also won a silver and four bronze medals in athletics as of Tuesday morning.
Paul Elizer Canare captured the silver medal in long jump elementary boys division.
John Dave Tumulak took the bronze in javelin throw-secondary boys; Lowell Jay Batobalani in long jump-secondary boys; Maricel Buer in javelin throw-secondary girls; and Peter Lachica in walkathon-secondary boys.
Magdaleno Duhilag, sports coordinator of the Department of Education-Region 12, said the a winning athletes will receive cash incentives of P15,000 for gold, P5,000 for silver and 3,000 for bronze medal.(Alejandro Saludo and Hydee Templonuevo/PNA)
