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Aries Camporedondo topped the elementary boys discus throw to give the region an elusive gold medal in his first — and last – stint in the Palarong Pambansa.
The General Santos City-born Camporedondo, who completed his elementary grades at the Ramon Acharon Sr. Elementary School last month, hurled to a distance of 29.53 meters.
His victory gave Cotabato Region its first gold medal in athletics played at the newly-refurbished Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex.
Western Visayas Richee Joy Cabanyog went 28.75 meters to cop the silver while his teammate Gilbert Pamplona took the bronze medal with 26.97 meters. Cotabato Region athletic manager Dr. Abraham Asbi congratulated Camporedondo, the second of four children of a seaport laborer-father.
“We hope that we could win more medals to compensate the hard work and sacrifices of our athletes, “Asbi told MindaNews. Camporedondo’s remarkable showing surpassed the 27.67 meters gold medal performance of National Capital Region’s Alvin Joe Cepeda last year in Koronadal City, South Cotabato. But it was quite far from the Palarong Pambansa record of 36.12 meters established by NCR’s Sonny Boy Tartana three years ago in Naga City.
On late Monday afternoon, Cotabato Region’s arnis team lived up to its billing reaping gold and silver medals in the secondary boys competition at the Wescom Mini Gym.
Benjie Manaois, Noli Parian, and Marvin Huquire joined hands to clinch the gold in synchronized doble baston. But the trio fell short in synchronized solo baston and had to settle for the silver. Cotabato Region’s secondary girls table tennis team defeated Central Visayas, 3 – 1, in the game played at the Palawan National School Alfredo Abueg Sr. Gymnasium. Led by ace woodpusher Sheider Nebato, the region’s secondary boys chess team overwhelmed Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)