Keon’s Ilocanos create a stir

Competing as a mere guest team in the just-concluded Palarong Pambansa did not stop Ilocos Norte from giving the regular participants and even the favorites a big run for their money.

The Ilocos Norte athletes under former Project: Gintong Alay director Mike Keon won 18 gold, 15 silver and eight bronze medals for a total of 41. Ten of the gold medals came in gymnastics.

If only Ilocos Norte were a regular participant, it would have finished fifth in the standings behind overall champion Davao (70-65-47), Iligan (32-22-33), Davao Oriental (21-17-38) and Zamboanga (20-19-14).

The Ilocos Norte athletes were invited by the Philippine Sports Commission to the annual sportsfest hosted this year by Tubod, Lanao del Norte. Ilocos Norte was also a guest team in last year’s Palaro in Cagayan de Oro.

Gymnasts Kimberly Jane Pacubat and April Lucky Gappi stood at the helm of the Ilocos Norte impressive campaign. And Keon took pride in this, considering the team sent only 45 athletes as compared to the hundreds that represented the top four delegations.

Pacubat, 13, emerged as the individual all-around winner in rhythmic gymnastics. She also topped the ribbon and ball events and was also a member of the gold-medal winning rhythmic gymnastics team that included Danna Mae Palada, Flora Mae Acoba and Larisse Silna Ramos. Palada won a second gold in the hoop event.

Gappi, meanwhile, shone in men’s artistic gymnastics, winning the individual all-around title, vault, pommel horse, floor exercise and team event in partnership with Ronald Callanga, Jaypee Pangdan and Emmanuel Aninon.

Another Ilocos gymnast, Princess Debrey Reyes, ruled the beam event in women’s artistic gymnastics and snared the silver in the individual all-around and floor exercise. She also won a bronze in the vault event.

Ilocos Norte athletes also shone in track and field, with Hanna Erika Sia winning the shot put in 11.43 meters that surpassed the national junior mark of 10.45 m. Vilma Butac also won the 3,000-m race in 11:19.54 while Allaloid Lumabao ruled the javelin event.

Duathlete Randy Basilio also sparkled, winning the 5K run, 20K bike and 2.5K run event in 57 minutes, 37 seconds, more than five minutes faster than the second-best finisher.

Taekwondo jins Ernalyn Bumanglag, Cleofas Bumanglag and Rebs dela Cruz also delivered gold medals for Ilocos Norte, ruling the super finweight, welterweight and heavyweight divisions.

Keon said had the Ilocos Region fielded a team in the Palarong Pambansa that ended last Wednesdy, his athletes, particularly Pacubat, Gappi and Sia would have contended for gold medals.

He also denied reports that Ilocos Norte is bidding to host next year’s Palarong Pambansa, stressing the province still can’t host the games because it still doesn’t have a synthetic track oval which costs at least P25 million to build.