UC bets rule Cebu City judo tilt

Judokas from the University of Cebu bagged three of five gold medals at stake last Sunday in the 2006 Cebu City All-Whitebelt Judo Tournament at the Guadalupe Sports Complex.

The two other golds went to players from the Cebu City Judo Club and Doce Pares Judo Club.

The gold medal winners from UC were Joselito Padilla for the +85 kilograms class, Anthony Ian Canceran for the +65 to 85 kgs. category and Joanna Gilig in the women's openweight category.

Padilla only had one opponent in the heaviest weight category and Lloyd Limbaga of the University of San Carlos finished second.

Canceran defeated teammates Noel Bureros in the final match. Bureros settled for the silver while the bronze medal went to Elmar Valmores of USC.

In the distaff side, Gilig led a sweep by the players from the UC Criminology Department. The silver went to Michelle Legarte while the bronze went to Margie Estogero, who took advantage of her opponent's failure to attack during their battle for third place.

Chuck Cañete of Doce Pares topped the +45 to 65 kgs. division, which had over 130 players. Cañete subdued USC's Alex Roa in the final using a kesa gatame (scarf hold) to secure the gold. Roa settled for the silver while the bronze went to UC's Geronimo Cabo.

Joaquin Fernandez, a freshman high school student of St. Francis Assisi School, had a spectacular performance in the -45 kgs. category scoring full points from the elimination round to the final using a deadly seionage (shoulder throw) technique.

The silver for the lightest weight class went to UC's Jiegs de Gracia while Dyland Ludovice of the Divino Amore Academy in Mohon, Talisay City took the bronze medal.

The event was organized by the Philippine Amateur Judo Association Inc.- Cebu Chapter headed by lawyer Vicente Fernandez II.

The Cebu City Sports Commission supported the event together with the barangay council of Guadalupe, Cebu City.

Other backers of the tournament were Yoshi Mizutani, Jack n Jill Caramel Curls, Mr. Chips, Star Fruits, Jojo Gummi Starwberry Puffs, and Refresh.

PAJA and the CCSC also gave recognition to five individuals for the contributions to the development of judo in Cebu.

Recognized were Ciriaco 'Cacoy' Cañete, Alexander Choachuy, Sr., Eduardo Cimafranca, Sr., Nestor Ducante, and Perfecto de los Reyes, Jr.

Close to 200 players participated in the one-day tournament making it the biggest-ever judo event held in Cebu in terms of the number of participants.

Rochelle Baclagan, director for referees of PAJA Inc. was also on hand to serve as chief of referees and to conduct and officiating seminar for blackbelts based in Cebu.- NLQ