Cebu City Still Leads in CVIRAA Even with Lone Gold on Second Day

Cebu City still leads the ongoing 2017 Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) meet in the City of Naga in southern Cebu despite winning only one gold medal on Monday in track and field.

Cebu City, which is aiming for its 25th overall title, is at No. 1 with 35 gold medals, more than twice the combined tally of second and third placers Lapu-Lapu City and Bohol, respectively.

Cebu City has 35 golds, 19 silvers and 15 bronzes, thanks to the 34 gold medals in gymnastics, while Lapu-Lapu is second with 6-17-16 and Bohol is third with 4-4-9.

John Marvin Rafols, a University of Cebu athlete who has won in the Palarong Pambansa, saved the Ninos from a shutout Monday after leaping 6.68 meters to win the gold in long jump, beating Shein Ralf Usaraga of Bohol.

“I just forced myself to play and I’m very happy with the gold medal even if it was not my best jump,” said Rafols, who was suffering from a hamstring injury.

On the other hand, 16-year-old Ericka Mae Tagoco of Bohol got emotional after winning the gold in long jump with a personal best of 5.25 meters.

She beat Mandaue City’s Pearl Angeline Abellar (5.18 meters) and Cebu City’s Jhuvan Baculot (5.15 meters).

“I did not expect to win because my fellow competitors were very tough to beat. I cried because I was really happy. My teammate was injured and I dedicate the victory to her and to our division,” she said.

Tagoco won the silver medal in the Palaro last year and had a previous personal best of 4.99 meters.

Eduard Nilmida Jr. also won a gold medal for Bohol in the 3,000-meter steeple chase in 11:31 over Cebu Province’s Carlo Ilustrisimo (11:05.62) and Toledo City’s Joebert Bolo (11:12.10), while Mark Vincent Pejana won in the elementary boys shot put.

Pejano had a throw of 8.97 meters to beat teammate Christopher Banas and John Fyl Romaguera of Cebu Province.

Meanwhile, the family of a promising Cebuano athlete has decried the alleged maltreatment of Department of Education (DepEd) officials which led to the disqualification of a taekwondo gold medallist a day before the 2017 CVIRAA meet started in the City of Naga on Sunday.

The family of Alysa Lou Llenes, a Cebu City Olympics gold medalist who has also won in various national meets, contacted the media after the 14-year-old was disqualified from the CVIRAA a day before the opening meet.

The Cebu City Olympics is the qualifying event for the CVIRAA for students under DepEd Cebu City.

He said the problem started when DepEd told her daughter to undergo the screening and interview process for the meet on Jan. 25 but she was not able to join because she had an exam at the University of San Carlos-Basic Education Department.

She was given another chance on Feb. 9 but when she went to DepEd’s office in Cebu City, she was informed that the screening process was being conducted in the City of Naga.

On Feb. 11, a day before the formal opening of the games, she was informed via phone call that she was disqualified.

DepEd Cebu City sports coordinator Zenaida Gocotano, who said she wanted Llenes to compete considering the teen’s potential, claimed they could not do anything about the disqualification because it’s a rule of their DepEd Central Office.

“There was a memorandum that was released nationwide. For Cebu City, we also released our memorandum for that and informed the coaches and parents about it,” she said.

The screening for the athletes was done on Jan. 25 and Feb. 6.

Gocotano said the screening is implemented nationwide and is for the Palarong Pambansa, so questions on athlete’s eligibility would readily be answered.

“The data from the screening and interview will be used to verify the information on athletes whenever there are questions raised in the competition. This is done to avoid anomalies regarding the age or even gender of the athletes. I want her to play because of her good record but I can’t do anything about it because it’s the rule of the Central Office,” said Gocotano. (PNA)LAP/EB/MP/EDS