Teens grab spotlight in PNG

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines  – Youngsters, led by wushu artist Dave Degala, grabbed the spotlight yesterday and spearheaded the gold rush in various fronts going into the final day the 2012 POC-PSC National Games.

Degala, 15, flaunted excellent moves in changquan (barehands), dao shu (short weapon) and gun shu (long weapon) to become the toast of wushu’s taolu (form) competitions at the ACSAT gym, towing a slew of multi-gold medalists on the penultimate day of action in different venues.

Ma. Bianca Ysabel Carlos, 16, added the girls’ singles under-19 tiara to the women’s singles plum she captured the other day to cap a stellar performance in badminton at the SM Hypermart.

Her feat was duplicated by 20-year-old Annie Ramirez in judo over at the Negros Oriental High School gym.

Ramirez of University of Sto. Tomas outclassed teammate Jewel de Castro to rule the women’s open weight, a fitting follow up to her earlier triumph in the under-63kgs class.

SEA Games 2011 bronze-winning judoka Dennis Catipon of Zamboanga, 28, seized the men’s openweight diadem on top of his -66 kg title to join the multi-winners in the joust organized by POC and PSC and backed by Smart Communications and The Philippine STAR.

National pool member Degala wowed the judges in Group C with his  graceful execution of fighting stance with bare hands (9.15 points) and wielding broadsword (9.05) and staff (9.15) to more than make up for the solitary bronze medal he won in last year’s PNG in Bacolod.

“I prepared harder for this competition, practicing twice a day under my coach (former world champion Mark Robert Rosales) and I gave it my best shot,” said Degala, an incoming Arellano High senior who had already competed at the world junior championships in Shanghai, where he finished 14th in bare hands.

Carlos of GSF reasserted her mastery of Laguna-Whackers’ Janelle Gloriane de Vera, 21-12, 21-18, for the U-19 crown. She earlier bested de Vera in the women’s singles finale, 22-20, 17-21, 21-10.

“We have a strong field here so I didn’t really expect to win,” said Carlos, who came to this “City of Gentle People” fresh from a sweep of the U-19 and open singles titles in the recent Philippine Badminton Ranking System (PBaRS) circuit in Cebu.

She credited her patient execution of coach Kennivic Asuncion’s tips for her twin victories here.

“I focused on the instructions of my coach and tried to execute them properly. I was also patient (with my shots) during the game,” she said.

Carlos’ fellow GSF bets Gelita Castilo and Dia Nicole Magno also scored a double, ruling the girls’ doubles U-19 at the expense of Cebu’s Irish Mae Ares and Jessa Mae Magat, 21-12, 21-10, to repeat their straight-set victory over the same pair earlier in the women’s doubles finals.

Ramirez, a former UAAP judo MVP, and Catipon were joined in the winners’ roster by UB’s Johnny Domiong (men’s -55kg), Zamboanga’s Franco Teves (men’s -60kg) and Eunice Lucero (women’s -70kg), UC’s Anette Joy Pinas (women’s -78kg), and Davao’s Ruth Dugaduga (women’s +78kgs).

Cebu City likewise joined the day’s top performers as the Cebuana clouters shut out Bukidnon, 8-0, to claim the women’s softball crown over at Silliman U.

Iloilo IX took third place honors via a close 12-11 verdict over Tacurong.