CEBU CITY — The National Capital Region (NCR) dominated the 64th Palarong Pambansa to claim its 17th straight overall championship here.
NCR stamped its class anew by harvesting 98 gold medals, including the secondary boys basketball crown, which it lost last year to this year’s host, Central Visayas.
The Big City also raked 66 silver medals and 74 bronzes for a total of 238 medals.
CHAMPS! NCR bets celebrate after winning the boys secondary basketball crown in the 64th Palarong Pambansa held in Cebu City. The Big City retained the overall championship title after winning a total of 98 gold medals. PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO
Calabarzon, which dropped to third place last year, redeemed second place this time as it beat Western Visayas by one gold medal for the runner-up position, 57-56.
Calabarzon added 51 silvers and 53 bronzes to its medal haul, while Western Visayas, which placed second last year, collected 41 silvers and bronzes each.
Davao Region ranked fourth with a 32-25-35 gold-silver-bronze haul, while host Central Visayas rounded out the top five with 25-37-45.
Meanwhile, Calabarzon’s Albert Jose Amaro emerged as the most bemedaled athlete.
Amaro, an incoming Grade 12 student at San Beda Taytay, swept his way to seven gold medals in the secondary boys class, capped by a 4×100 m freestyle relay championship on Sunday at the Cebu City Sports Center.
Amaro, alongside Eric Umali, Kevin Arguzon and Nimrod Montera, clocked a time of 3:38.83 as he has totaled eight gold medals in his Palaro career.
Representing Naga Parochial School of the Bicol Region in last year’s meet in Marikina, Almaro could only win one event which was the 50-m butterfly event.
Amaro’s six other wins were from the 200-m freestyle, 50-m freestyle, 100-m butterfly, 4×100-m medley relay, 100-m freestyle and 50-m butterfly events.
“I dedicate my seven golds to God because He helped me get through mentally because I’m away from my family,” said Amaro.
“If it weren’t for my hard work I wouldn’t have made this possible. I also dedicate this to my coaches because they’re the ones who guide me in and outside of the pool while I’m away from my family.
Amaro topped the previous 50m butterfly Palaro record (26.24 seconds) he established last year in Marikina with 25.25 this time around while also recording a new high in 100-m butterfly with 56.50, eclipsing Jamesray Ajido’s 56.78 last year.
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