DAVAO City secured the overall No. 4 spot at the Batang Pinoy 2024 National Championships, with 35 golds, 35 silvers, and 28 bronzes as of 9 a.m. on Thursday, November 28, 2024, in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
Pasig City led the competition, earning 83 golds, 49 silvers, and 88 bronzes. Baguio City followed in second (63-53-58), with Quezon City in third (45-43-45). Other top-ranking cities included Cebu City (28-32-27) in fifth, Makati City (26-21-11) in sixth, Mandaluyong City (25-30-15) in seventh, Santa Rosa City (23-20-17) in eighth, Zamboanga City (23-17-12) in ninth, and Iloilo Province (21-13-7) in tenth.
Davao City's wushu-taolu team earned nine golds, six silvers, and four bronzes, while the wushu-sanda team added one gold and five silvers at the RVM Sports Complex Indoor Gym.
Reuel Sacay won the city's only wushu sanda gold in the boys' B 56kg category. Maezzy Luania (girls B 42kg), Jeheiel Rei Barbero (boys B 42kg), Franchester Aracena (boys B 52kg), Florence Wilvert Cueme (boys A 48kg), and Clarens Villacastin (boys A 56kg) each took silver. The team was coached by Jahaziel Care Barbero (girls) and her father Arniel (boys).
At the Puerto Princesa Pilot Elementary School, Davao City's jiu-jitsu team earned one gold, two silvers, and three bronzes. Ethan Arañez won the gold in the male teens -56kg category, while Julial Than D. Pineda (male teens under -69kg) and Kristofer I. Velasco (male teens -62kg) secured silvers.
Judd Hero D. Tancontian (male juveniles -73kg), Gabriel B. Igasenza (male juveniles -55kg), and Jewel E. Empleo (juveniles -52kg) earned bronze medals.
Coach Marc Alexander Lim, a Southeast Asian (SEA) Games jiu-jitsu gold medalist from Davao, praised his athletes on Facebook, acknowledging the tough competition. He highlighted that many of his athletes were new to the sport, some with only a few months of GI training and others dealing with injuries.
"Despite the challenges, we showed a lot of potential, proving that we are Davao City strong," Lim said.
Jiu-jitsu was included in the Batang Pinoy program for the first time.
Meanwhile, Davao City's archers brought home four golds, two silvers, and nine bronzes from the RVM Sports Complex baseball field. Pepito Henry Wee dominated with three golds in compound under-13 boys rounds 1 and 2, as well as the double round. His teammate, Christian Nate Pama, added a gold to his two bronzes.
Other medalists included Phili Justin Lim (three bronzes), Utada Lorica (one bronze), Aniana Denise Pahang (one silver), Abigail Lim (one silver, one bronze), and Jasmin Jane Lim (two bronzes).
In cycling, Shyrah Mae Rizalado and Mary Beatrice Ondras clinched gold medals in the Batang Pinoy 2024 National Championships’ cross-country (XCT) mountain bike competition on November 27 in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Rizalado secured her third gold in the girls’ 14-15 XCT after dominating the XCO (Cross Country Olympic) and XCE (Cross Country Eliminator) events earlier in the week. Ondras claimed the girls’ 16-17 XCT gold with a stellar performance.
In athletics, Davao City's Charle Jhon Alcantara triumphed in the boys' U16 triple jump, winning the gold in his Batang Pinoy debut on November 28 at the RVM Sports Complex track oval. Alcantara leaped 13.75 meters in his second attempt, outdistancing Icer Czeiss Malapitan of Navotas City (12.42m) and Kenneth Pancho of Negros Occidental (12.38m), who settled for silver and bronze, respectively.
"Lipay kaayo ko, Ma'am, syempre national ni. Sa Palaro last year kay ika 10 ra ko ato. Karon, naka gold na gyud ko sa dula (I'm so happy, ma'am! Of course, this is a national tournament. Last year in the Palarong Pambansa, I only placed 10th. Now, I’ve won gold in the competition)," Alcantara, coached by Irish Marquez, said. MLSA
