Despite the bad weather, 26 athletes and coaches from Benguet who recently won in international competitions paraded in a motorcade in the main thoroughfares of La Trinidad on June 13.
This is after the provincial officials, led by Gov. Melchor Diclas, awarded certificates of recognition and cash incentives to the athletes and coaches who won medals in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; International Federation of Muay Thai Associations (IFMA) Senior World Championships in Bangkok, Thailand; and in the Asian Senior Kurash Championship and World Kurans Series Qualifier in Hangzhou, China.
Leading the 22 who participated during the SEA Games on May 5 to 17 were gold medalists Jason Balabal, Claudine Veloso, Crisamuel Delfin, Jean Claude Saclag, and coaches Lourdes Angela Ramos and Jaybe Ban-eg.
Silver medalists Jeremy Pacatiw, Gina Araos, Jason Baucas, Ariel Lee Lampacan, Emmanuel Cantores, and Mariane Mariano.
Bronze medalists were Honorio Banario, Danny Kingad, Carlo Von Buminaang, Kurt Lubrica, Felix Dave Cantores, Zyra Bon-as, Jenelyn Olsim, Godwyn Langbayan, and Jerlyn Kingad.
Aside from the SEA Games athletes, four participants of the IFMA Senior World Championship last May 3 to 13 were honored with the first Filipina Muaythai World Champion Islay Erika Bomogao, who also won a silver medal in the senior female wai kru; April Joy La Madrid, who won silver in the under 21, female wai kru; and their coaches Edzel Ngina and Zaidi Laruan.
Charmea Quelino who won a silver medal in the Asian Senior Kurash Championship and World Kurans Series Qualifier on April 28 to 30 was also honored during the simple awards ceremony.
Endurance race coach Lou Ann Ramos thanked the provincial government for supporting the athletes.
Ramos, an Ibaloy of the Cariño clan of Baguio, said that in her coaching of the national athletes, she makes it a point to inculcate the values of tenacity and humi-lity.
Bomogao, meanwhile, urged the provincial government to continue its support to local athletes who made it to the national team.
Diclas expressed his pride in the athletes’ excellence in the sports they are in and assured the continuing support of the provincial government.
“Thank you for your hard work, you are a good inspiration to the next generation,” Diclas said.
The athletes and coaches received a total of P144,000 in incentives based on the provincial sports ordinance. – Ofelia C. Empian
