Shuttlers sustain Manilans romp

Manila continued to dominate the field in the second Manila Youth Games National Invitational as it swept the four gold medals staked in badminton that somehow cushioned the impact of its frustrating setbacks in softball yesterday.

Marie Estela Helit smashed Candon City’s Racille Joy Zamora, 21-6, 21-4, to cop the singles crown in the 15-under category and then teamed up with Rochelle dela Cruz in trouncing Quezon City’s Vianonty Martinez and Carla Montes, 21-17, 21-17, for the doubles gold.

She later made it a triple gold haul when she teamed up with Steven Paul Rabanol to repulse Parañaque’s Danica Rose Besa and Elmo Sese IV, 21-17, 20-22, 21-1, and bagged the mixed doubles crown.

Rabanol defeated Muntinlupa’s Jyle Gonzales, 21-16, 18-21, 21-14, to capture the boys’ singles crown at the San Andres gym.

But the Big City bets, who outclassed the opposition in athletics, failed to sustain their romp in softball as the Rizal bets routed the hosts, 17-1, to rule the little league division.

Rizal Technological U later nipped Manila, 2-1, to capture the gold medal in the collegiate division of the event organized by Presidential adviser for youth sports and Manila Sports Council and Inner City Development chair Ali Atienza.

Against RTU, Manila led by a run going into the bottom of the seventh and final inning before Hansel Servando tied it on a wild pitch and Girlie Postrero drove in Rizel Custodia on a single to left field for the clincher.

In baseball, Tanuan City suffered the same fate as Manila as it dropped a pair of close games to Muntinlupa, 1-2, in little league finals and Nueva Ecija, 2-3, in the high school championship.

"We really prepared for this, we’re just giving this all back to our provincial government," said Nueva Ecija co-coach Lauro Sampang.

Last Wednesday, the Big City bets came through with a whopping 32-gold medal haul in centerpiece track and field highlighted by an amazing five-gold splurge by Justin Tabunda, son of former RP team member Justo.

Tabunda topped the 800m run, 1,500m, 3,000m and was part of the triumphant 4x100m and 4x400m relay team to become the most bemedalled athlete in the meet backed by Converse, San Miguel Corporation, Tanduay, Pagcor, Super Ferry, Milo, Landbank, Metrobank, Proctor and Gamble, Globe Telecoms, Spurway Enterprises, Jex Nylon Shuttles, STI-Taft, PLDT My DSL, Aktivade, Isuzu Manila, Intra Sports at Concept Movers.