Palarong Pambansa gold medalist Mary Anthony Diesto and University Games discus throw queen Maika de Oro led Negros athletes in capturing medals in the 2013 POC-PSC Philippine National Games that ended yesterday in Manila.

Diesto made her mark in this year’s PNG competition by bagging the gold in junior girls’ 100 meters and triple jump, while finishing with the bronze in long jump.

De Oro reigned in junior women’s discus throw and settled for silver in shot put, while Lovielyn Pamatian of Bago City secured the gold in junior girls’ 800 meters. Another Palarong Pambansa campaigner, Aira Teodosio, won the silver in junior girls’ shot put.

Ntele Niuda of University of St. La Salle, topped the senior women’s 10K walk, leaving behind University of the East athletes Marie Alice De la Cruz and Mary Gene Dagasdas to pick up the silver and bronze.

In chess, Mary Grace Tambasen of University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos held her ground against the country’s best players to secured a seat in the semifinals of the women standard division.

Meanwhile, Christopher Lirazan of Kabankalan City, triple-gold medalist in the 2013 Palaro, ended up with a bronze in junior men’s 400 meters, while Bagoeño Jun Montalbo plucked the bronze in junior men’s steeplechase.

In junior boys’ high jump, Alexis Soqueño of the Negros First team won the bronze.

The Philippine National Games, backed by the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission, was reactivated three years ago to assess the performance of Filipino athletes.

It serves as the ultimate challenge grounds to bring out the best of the national crop and the emerging ones, and is considered as the final "ranking and selection ground" for possible composition of the national pool for future international competitions.

Earlier, table tennis players from the Lopue’s Table Tennis Association captured the championship in men’s and women’s team event with three gold medals, two silvers and a bronze in individual events.

The impressive performance of the athletes from Negros Occidental, affirmed the province’s status as the hub of emerging top-caliber athletes in the country.*NAB

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Negrense athletes shine in PNG
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