Kimberly Colaste of Iloilo City topped the girls’ blitz event to complete a three-gold sweep in chess that also capped the host’s historic first win in the Visayas Leg of the 2019 Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy at the Iloilo Sports Complex Covered Gym here yesterday.
Colaste, 11, actually finished tied for first with Cebu Province’s Kristina Concepcion Belano and Victorias City’s Precious Jewel Dolar with six points but ended with the highest tiebreak score of 30 points against 28.5 and 28 by the latter two to go home with three golds including one each in rapid and standard events.
And the Grade Six student of Constancia Elementary School in Guimaras almost lost it when she lost to Belano in the fourth round before watching the latter fall to Dolar in the next round that enabled the former to catch up and snatch the gold.
“I wasn’t nervous, but I wasn’t certain also that I would still win,” said Colaste, whose stint here was her first in Batang Pinoy, in Filipino.
Other blitz winners in chess were Bayawan’s Michael John Stephen Inigo (boys’ 12-under), Cebu Province’s John Lester Belano (boys’ 15-under) and Alphecca Gonzales (girls’ 15-under).
Iloilo City turned back Cebu Province, 78-72, to capture the girls’ basketball gold.
It was a rousing debut for Iloilo, composed of seven players from Molo City High, two from Manduriao High, and three from Central Philippines University, as it did not only make the local folks proud but also gained it a spot in the National Batang Pinoy set in October in either Ormoc or Tagbilaran where it will face the country’s best and brightest.
“It’s our first time, that’s why we’re really happy to win,” said Iloilo coach Sharina Jane Padilla, a 29-year-old three-time MVP and champion during her college days.
Iloilo also picked up a gold in table tennis thanks to Alain Vincent Dominguez and Levee Marie Oliva in the mixed doubles.
Also snaring table tennis golds were Mandaue City’s Daniel Butar (cadet boys’ singles), Cebu Province’s Mikylla Therese Dinuanao (cadet girls’ singles), Tagbilaran’s Jebb Jerwin Datahan (mini-cadet boys’ singles) and Sigma, Capiz’s Leslie Faye Dizon (mini-cadet girls’ singles).
Iloilo’s Althea Martirez took the singles and led the doubles and team to two more as the host swept all three girls’ lawn tennis mints.
In badminton, Mandaue hauled five of the eight golds staked in the sport courtesy of Gian Arante and Lloyd Erynz Rosema (under-13 boys’ doubles), Hailene Reeze Diaz and Naeomi Ysabel Gulpany (under-13 girls’ doubles), Diaz (girls’ singles), Araneta (boys’ singles) and Karyll Rio (under-13 girls).
After six days and the smoke of battle dissipated, Iloilo ended up on top with 49 golds, 40 silvers and 39 bronze to unseat last year’s Visayas Leg champion Cebu City, which wound up with a 34-46-48 (gold-silver-bronze) haul.
Cebu Province finished at No. 3 with 32-27-40.
