PUERTO PRINCESA. — Masbate discus thrower Courtney Jewel Trangia and swimmer Anton Paulo Dominick Della of San Fernando, La Union sparkled on a hot Sunday morning as the Batang Pinoy National Championships got going at the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex here.
Sustaining her winning streak, Trangia captured the first gold medal in the games while Della set the first meet record in the youth sports showcase organized by the Philippine Sports Commission.
One of the big winners in the Philippine Athletics Championships at the Philsports track oval in Pasig City last April, Trangia, 17, ruled her pet event in the girls’ class with a heave of 38.30 meters, retaining her crown for the third straight time.
The lanky Della, 17, banked on a strong finish to win the gold in the boys 16 to 17-year-old 200-meter individual medley, clocking two minutes and 15.58 seconds and sinking the previous best of 2:16.66 Lucena’s Peter Cyrus Dean set last year in the previous edition of the games at the Teofilo Yldefonso pool in Manila.
The two emerged as the early standouts in the youth sports fest supported by the Puerto Princesa City government led by Mayor Lucilo Bayron, Pocari Sweat and Summit Mineral Water.
“Masayang-masaya po ako at ako ang nakakuha ang first gold medal sa Batang Pinoy National Championship,” said the stocky Trangia, a Masbate Sports Academy Grade 11 student.
“Courtney’s strong suit is her power and strength and is quite teachable, who follows training instructions to the letter. She is able to juggle her academics and athletics well,” noted coach and MSA school adviser Jeric Cabug.
MSA head Rufino Arellano said Trangia was one of two MSA gold medalists at the Asean School Games last June in Da Nang, Vietnam, the other being javelin thrower Ana Bhianca Espenilla, who was scheduled to compete later in the afternoon.
Della said he was surprised by his victory but believed he could have lowered his time further.
“I really wanted to swim faster because I know what I am capable of,” said the swimmer, who won five silver medals in the Palarong Pambansa in Cebu City last July.
“Just like basketball star Kobe Bryant said, ‘The job is not yet done’ and I intend to win golds and break records in my home region,” said Della of the next Palaro that will be set in Laoag, Ilocos Norte in 2025.
Tarlac’s Rich Justin Torres won the other gold medal in athletics early Sunday morning in the boys’ javelin throw with a heave of 12.16 meters.
Bangkok-based Arveen Naeem Taguinota II, who won seven mints in the last edition of the BP Nationals in Manila and carrying the colors of Pasig, topped the boys 12-13-year-old 200-meter IM event in 2:22.02 while Taguig’s Ashton Clyde Jose was victorious in the boys 14-15-year-old class (2:14.08).
In the girls’ 200-meter IM, Malabon’s Sophia Rose Garra was tops in the 12-13-year-old division (2:31.82), San Fernando, La Union’ Kyla Louise Bulaga won in the 14-15-year-old class (2:33.50) and Quezon City’s Lisa Margarethe Amoguis in the 16-17-year-old category (2:33.25).
Host Puerto Princesa copped its first gold courtesy of swimmer Zachary Joseph Tovera, who topped the 14-15-year-old boys 50-meter backstroke in 29.95 seconds.
In chess, Oscar Cantela and Christan Gian Karlo Arca led the early gold winners by topping the rapid event for boys 16-17-year-old old and 15-year-old divisions, respectively.
