Boxers, gymnasts lift Benguet as Abra slips
BENGUET province boxers provided the much needed boost to move out of the log jam as it hangs tough in second place in the ongoing Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association in Abra.
After a three way tie in the second place during the third day of competition with host Abra and Ifugao, Benguet leaned on the heroics of its boxers and gymnasts to stay in second place with 29 gold medals, 48 silvers, and 66 bronze medal.
Baguio City remains to dominate the regional sporting event as it ran way with 168 gold medals, 89 silvers and 48 bronze as of4:00 p.m. of February 8 to easily retain the over-all title in the sports event backed by the Department of Education.
Benguet slammed
the door on a resurging Abra which hosted the event for the first time in 17 years after gaining momentum in the gold medal race but slowed down with 23 48 - 55 medal haul as the host province remains on in third place while Ifugao silently worked its way to the fourth spot with 25 - 35 - 42 medal production.
Jonifer Gaki, Benson Awidan, and Eugenio Tuguinay brought home gold medals in boxing for the province while Febrille Tiwac snagged the mint in gymnastics together with Methalie Mateo and Gabriel Collado who won in the aero gymnastics - elementary mixed pair.
Benguet had the steadier secondary squad which took home 16-15-37 medal winning three in wushu, four in swimming, three in pencak silat, two in athletics and sepak takraw, while its elementary team bagged 13-33-29 with three in badminton and women's gymnastics, two in swimming, and one each in men's gymnastics, taekwondo, and tennis.
Abra also leaned on its secondary squad for its medal haul winning nine in athletics, two in pencak silat, and one each in sepak takraw girls, swimming, and table tennis.
The host province came up with nine gold medals in elementary winning the highly coveted basketball crown against Baguio while snagging two medals each in badminton, sepak takraw, and tennis while producing one apiece in athletics, and women's gymnastics.
Ifugao's elementary team however had a better gold medal output against its high school counterparts with 19 compared to only six after surprising the field with seven in gymnastics, six in athletics, three in table tennis, and one each in badminton, chess, and taekwondo.
Apayao remained at the fifth spot with 16 gold, 27 silver and 51 bronze medals as Kalinga stays at sixth on 15-18-30 medal count.
Mountain Province, after its third place finish last year remains at the bottom of the medal standings with 8-17-33.