Golden boys of Mimaropa

If there’s one team that Puerto Princesa City and Minaropa are proud of, it’s the sepak takraw squad that scored a grand slam when it captured the first gold medal for the region in this year’s Palaro. The team stunned NCR, 2-0, in their championship match at the Mendoza Park on Thursday, to prove that their victory in the past two years is no fluke.

Self-discipline, confidence and faith in God helped a lot in making my boys win, said coach Camilo Apdon of Palawan National School who has considered his team as part of his family as he provides them their much-needed emotional, spiritual and even material support.

This three-in-a-row victory is a triumph that we dedicate to the Almighty God, Mayor Edward Hagedorn and all the people who have given us their continued support, said players John Geremson Frago, Sid Estrela, Aristotle Gabinete, Michael Angelo Zumaraga, Jordan Reynante, Marion John Duran, Regim Molejon, Ronsited Gabayeron and Japeth Barbosa, most of whom are PNS students.

The Puerto Princesa-based champions said they hope to represent the country in the forthcoming BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games in Brunei in Nov. 28-30 this year and improve the country’s performance to prove anew that Filipino athletes can be globally competitive. The local boys had earlier represented the country in earlier editions of the games held in Puerto Princesa, Malaysia and Thailand. The local team has won the bronze medal ASEAN schools competition in Singapore last year.

If they realize their dream, the opportunity will once again broaden their travel horizons as the game had also taken them earlier to various parts of the country, including Naga, Marinduque, Koronadal and Tagaytay, where they have showcased their sepak takraw expertise.

As a fruit of their hard work, the players are getting scholarship grant offers from various universities.

Looking back, the players said they can hardly believe, if it were not for their commitment to collectively excel in the game, that they now have the crown in their hands. A dream come true, indeed, for these boys, who started as ball retrievers in their sports discipline.

Another Mimaropa athlete who has broken into the gold medal tally is taekwondo jin Dexter John Rico, of Oriental Mindoro, who outclassed his opponents in the bantamweight division.