Wagan starts NCR bid in Palaro

Naga City — Manila wonder girl Mage Wagan copped two medals yesterday to jumpstart the National Capital Region’s title-retention bid in the high school competition of the Palarong Pambansa at the University of Caceres Gym here.

Wagan, the pride from Jose Abad Santos who won five gold medals in last month’s Manila Youth Games, was tops in the rope and hoop events of rhythmic gymnastics to send the Big City bets in the medal board right on Day 1 of this annual multi-sports meet for elementary and high school students.

Raizza Desiree Garcia duplicated Wagan’s feat with a pair of golden efforts in the rope and hoop events in the elementary level.

NCR also served notice in basketball as its high school team slammed Mimaropa, 96-62, to notch its first win in the sports it dominated in last year’s edition in Iloilo City, thanks to the San Beda Red Cubs.

Composed of players from the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs, NCR roared to a 42-17 halftime lead, giving it enough cushion to relax in the final half where the second stringers took over to preserve the win and send warning signals to the opposition including last year’s losing finalist Western Visayas.

"It was too hot so I told the boys to conserve their energy in the second half for our next games," said NCR coach Allan Asque in Filipino.

In other fronts, action starts in centerpiece athletics at the Pacol Sports Complex with six gold medals up for grabs.

Earlier, Vice President Noli de Castro, who was sent here by President Arroyo who is out of the country, declared the Games open before thousands of delegations from 17 regions including bets from host Bicol Region.

De Castro spoke purely in Filipino about all the participating delegations’ struggles in preparing for the meet.

Also attending the opening were Senators Kiko Pangilinan and Joker Arroyo and Budget and Management Secretary Rolando Andaya — all Bicol natives.

Host Mayor Jese Robredo, acting Department of Education Secretary Fe Hidalgo, Philippine Sports Commission chair William "Butch" Ramirez and commissioner Leon Montemayor were also present.

Gold medals to be contested in medal-rich track and field are javelin (girls and boys secondary), long jump (elementary boys) and triple jump (elementary and secondary boys).