Mindanaoans continue proud reign

PUERTO PRINCESA — A troika of quadruple gold medal winners in swimming and a track and field sensation from Davao City made a show of force in Day 2 of the third BIMP (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines) East Asia Growth Area Friendship Games at the Puerto Princesa here yesterday.

Nikko Michael Cao Hok, Carlo Rodriguez and Phyll Julius Iglesias hauled four gold medals apiece to underscore Mindanao’s pool supremacy in the event organized by Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn and the Philippine Sports Commission with help from Palawan Governor Joel Reyes and Rep. Abraham Mitra.

A day after bagging the country’s first athletics gold in the men’s 1,500-m run, Rey Ocon, 19, added two more with a pair of golden runs in the 800 meters and the 3,000 meters.

A third year student at Holy Cross of Davao, Ocon clocked 2:00.1 in the 800-m to beat Suaiba Syafrudin of North Sulawesi of Indonesia and Robby Kornathnio of Sabah, Malaysia, who had 2:02.0 and 2:04.9, respectively.

Then Ocon came back to rule the 3,000-m event later in the day to capMindanao’s five-gold medal harvest at the tracks.

Mindanao’s three other track gold medals came from Sharra Grace Tesaluna in women’s discus throw and shot put and Herbert King Adovo in men’s long jump.

Cao Hok, Rodriguez and Iglesias fuelled Mindanao’s three-gold conquest of the team events in swimming — 4x100 freestyle relay, 4x100 medley relay and 4x200 freestyle relay — to defuse the challenge from Sabah, Malaysia and South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Cao Hok, an Iligan City native who is now a La Salle freshman, won his individual gold in the 100-m backstroke with a clocking of 1:07.07.

Rodriguez, a second year student at Holy Cross of Davao, for his part, reigned supreme in the 100-m butterfly where he beat Cao Hok and 1,500 freestyle tormentor Andi Gumilang of South Sulawesi while Iglesias, a Santo Tomas bet who hails from Zamboanga City, topped the 100-m freestyle Saturday.

Equally impressive was Mindanao’s Izah Sueno, who spearheaded the women’s side with three gold medal haul.