By GRACE S. UDDIN | Davao Today
Two Davao athletes who bagged the gold in the 24th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand in December last year will fight it out for the qualifying rounds in Shenzhen, China, for the 2008 Beijing Olympics slated in August.
Shiela Mae Perez, 22, earlier made the city proud by bagging three gold medals in diving during the 23rd SEA Games in 2005. She’s making the city proud again by winning gold in women’s three-meter springboard category in December last year. She and Rexel Ryan Fabriga, 22, who won gold in men’s ten-meter platform synchronized diving during the event, will fight it out in the Shenzhen qualifying rounds for Beijing.
Both Perez and Fabriga also won, apart from their golds, silver in women’s one-meter springboard and in men’s ten meter platform categories, respectively.
They were among the 21 Davao athletes that the city government honored on an April 3 ceremony at the Marco Polo Hotel.
“The game was good and I really prepared for the competition,” said Fabriga of kilometre 10 in Sasa. He said he practiced three times a day to prepare himself for the event.
Perez said she was happy to win gold despite the tough competition. She had to go to Canada and the US for another game before trying out for the Beijing’s qualifying game.
“After we come back, we will start our training,” Perez said.
Anticipating the competition to be tough, Perez said it’s the spirit of winning that matters. She said she was hoping to be on the top twelve in the next Olympics.
“If you would dream, dream big,” Perez said.
The city government hosted a treat to 21 Davao athletes who bagged different prizes from the 24th SEA games in December. Among them, Ruditha Poralan belonged to the 10- member team that won the bronze in the 1,000-meter traditional boat race for women. Her mother Omicita Poralan, 56, said she was very happy with her daughter’s winning.
Although the rigorous training oftentimes kept them apart, she said she didn’t mind because it was the good of her daughter.
Other Davao SEA games medalists included Jho Ann Banayag, who won silver in the women’s marathon; Edmer del Socorro and Ruel Batuto, whose team won silver in baseball; Jhonnel Ababa, whose team also won silver in golf; Amina Anuddin, whose team won silver in a 500-meter traditional boat race for women; Sanita Kasim, whose team won bronze10 in the 1,000-meter traditional boat race for women; Jaime Asok, who won gold in a 10-meter platform synchronized diving for men; Zardo Domenios and Nio Carog who both won silver in the three-meter synchronized diving for men; Zardo Domenios, who won bronze in the three-meter springboard diving for men; Lee Vann Corteza, who won silver in the nine-pool single, billiards and snookers for men; May Ann Basas, who won silver in the six-red snooker and billiards for women; George Vilog, who won silver in men’s triathlon; Richly Magsanay, whose 25-member team won silver in sailing; Ruth Dugaduga who won bronze in the 78-kilogram half heavy judo for women; Frazier Alamara, Norton Alamara and Monsuito Pelenio, whose water polo team won the silver and and Luvelyn Maganda who bagged the gold in team softball.
Cash gifts amounting to 15,000 pesos were given to those who won the gold, to 10,000 pesos to those who won silver and five thousand to those who won bronze. (Grace S. Uddin/ davaotoday.com)
