It all started with Nesthy Petecio, the reigning AIBA women’s world boxing champion, lighting up the cauldron with the legendary eight-time world boxing champion Senator Manny Pacquiao.
Like Petecio who went on to win her first ever Southeast Asian Games gold medal, Davao City athletes have helped carry the fight for Team Philippines in its conquest of the overall championship in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
The Philippines amassed a total of 358 medals punctuated with 149 golds, 117 silvers and 119 bronzes. Out of that massive haul, Davao athletes were part of the 7 gold medals, 5 silvers and 5 bronzes either as individuals or team members.
Igniting the medal rush was Jezebel Morcillo who snagged the women’s bantamweight gold medal in the arnis event staged in the first day of the competition.
From there, medals came in blustery fashion like typhoon “Tisoy” which momentarily marred the schedules of the two-week sports conclave among the region’s 11 nations. But unlike Tisoy which left the day after it went in, the medal machine continued chugging for the Davao athletes.
Joining Morcillo in the gold medal club are sambo athlete Chino Tancontian of Davao City, boxers Nesthy Petecio of Digos City and Charly Suarez of Davao del Norte, judoka Fil-Japanese Maria Takahashi of Davao de Oro, obstacle racers Klymille Keilah Rodriguez and Nathaniel Sanchez, and soft tennister Mark Alcoseba also from Davao City.
Tancontian stunned the Singaporean judo superstar Gary Chow in the finals to seize the men’s 82kg division gold medal of the sambo event held in Angeles University Foundation in Clark Pampanga a week ago.
Petecio, for her part, put up a target practice against Myamar to score a unanimous decision victory in their gold medal match of the women’s flyweight category in the boxing event held Monday evening at the PICC Forum Tent in Pasay City.
Suarez did the same thing in the ring. The 2016 Rio Olympics campaigner smudged his Thai opponent with powerful haymakers to claim the men’s lightweight division title via unanimous decision.
Takahashi lived up to expectations as she captured the gold medal in the women’s judo event.
The duo of Rodriguez and Sanchez defined endurance and strength as they came out the toughest in the obstacle course race relay for another gold medal finish from the Dabawenyos.
Alcoseba, meanwhile, joined forces with Noel Damian, Jr. to claim the men’s soft tennis team event gold medal over Thailand on Tuesday evening at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Other Dabawenyo athletes may have fallen short of gold medal but theirs are stories equally worth sharing.
The silver medalists are spiker Francis Philip Saura, kurash’s Jillou Mosqueda, water polo boys Mummar Alamara and Abner Amiladjid, and Lady Volcano Agot Danton of Davao City, and boxer Marjon PIañar of Panabo City.
Saura formed part in one of the biggest history written in the 30th SEA Games after the Philippine men’s volleyball team won the silver medal again after 42 years. The 23-year old middle blocker will take a vacation back to his hometown in Davao City with the worthiest silverware hanging on his neck.
Mosqueda denied the price she would pay for exerting too much effort in the semifinals of the women’s kurash event held in Laus Groups Event Centre a week ago. She injured her wrist and had to undergo surgery after guaranteeing the silver medal for the Philippine Kurash Team. Her injury halted her to play in the gold medal round.
Philippine Lady Volcanoes winger Danton rode on the team’s runner up finish to secure the women’s rugby football silver medal.
Panabo pug Marjon Piañar took home the men’s welterweight division silver medal after bowing to Thailand.
The bronze medalists are Sydney Tancontian (women’s kurash), Pawie Fornea (women’s triathlon), Christine Talledo, Roda Daban, and Lea Baligas (women’s canoeing), Sonny Wagdos (men’s 5,000-meter marathon), and Jack Escarpe (men’s judo).
denied the price she would pay for exerting too much effort in the semifinals of the women’s kurash event held in Laus Groups Event Centre a week ago. She injured her wrist and had to undergo surgery after guaranteeing the silver medal for the Philippine Kurash Team. Her injury halted her to play in the gold medal round.
Philippine Lady Volcanoes winger Danton rode on the team’s runner up finish to secure the women’s rugby football silver medal.
Panabo pug Marjon Piañar took home the men’s welterweight division silver medal after bowing to Thailand.
The bronze medalists are Sydney Tancontian (women’s kurash), Pawie Fornea (women’s triathlon), Christine Talledo, Roda Daban, and Lea Baligas (women’s canoeing), Sonny Wagdos (men’s 5,000-meter marathon), and Jack Escarpe (men’s judo).
