Wagdos bags second EAGA gold

MANILA, Philippines - University of Mindanao prized trackster Sonny Wagdos dominated the field and copped his gold medal for Team Mindanao-Philippines in the eighth BIMP-EAGA (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asia Growth Area) Friendship Games at the Labuan Sports Complex in Labuan, Malaysia last Sunday.

The Davao City native clocked 16 minutes, 25.99 seconds, besting Zainuddin of West Kalimantan (16:48.66) and another Davao City bet Glein D. Payac (17:41.84) for the men’s 5,000m gold.

The 20-year-old Wagdos has earlier won one gold, silver and bronze as Davao hiked its medal haul to 2-3-1 (gold-silver-bronze) in track and field in the five-day competition among focus areas of the four-nation group.

Wagdos won the 1,500m gold Sunday and finished second in the 800m run and was part of the men’s 4X400 relay bronze medal team. The group finished behind Papua (3:23.72) and Maluku (3:23.72).

Wagdos timed 1:58.06 in the 800m and finished behind Fredy Pattiasina of East Kalimantan (1:57.54). Raymond Yew Liang Fung (1:58.35) of Sabah copped the bronze.

Davao’s April Rose Guiang, meanwhile, settled for silver in women’s discus throw then helped the city’s women’s 4X400 meter relay team to a bronze finish.

Guiang heaved a 31.03m throw in the event won by Wong Xiao Jing of Sarawak, Indonesia (35.32). Labuan’s Denise Mary William took the bronze with a 29.18 heave.

Meanwhile, Davao City’s men’s beach volleyball team takes on East Kalimantan for the gold while the men’s basketball squad battles Sabah for the title at the Palm Beach Resort & Spa and Labuan Corporation Multi-Purpose Hall, respectively.