GENERAL SANTOS City – Iloilo’s young track stars blazed their way to national glory as Dingle’s Kian Labar and Pavia’s Christian Dominic Hubag delivered gold medals in dominant fashion at the Batang Pinoy 2025 National Finals held at the General Santos City Sports Complex.
Labar, just 16, stole the spotlight as the new sprint king of Philippine youth athletics, capturing three gold medals and smashing two long-standing Batang Pinoy records. He clocked 10.82 seconds in the 100 meters, erasing the old meet record, and 48.84 seconds in the 400 meters, before wrapping up his campaign with a 22.39-second win in the 200 meters.
“This is all for Iloilo and my town of Dingle,” said Labar, dedicating his victories to his hometown. “I’m thankful to my coaches, my family, and everyone who believed in me.”
His record-breaking feats propelled Iloilo among the top provinces in athletics, underscoring the province’s growing dominance in grassroots sports.
Adding to the province’s medal haul, 15-year-old Christian Dominic Hubag of Pavia showcased tactical brilliance in the 800-meter run, clocking 2:01.37 to snatch gold after a thrilling final stretch against rivals from Ilocos Norte and Malabon City.
“This win means a lot to me and to my town, Pavia,” Hubag said. “I worked hard for this, and I’m thankful to my coaches and teammates who pushed me to do my best.”
With Labar’s record-smashing sprint treble and Hubag’s endurance-driven triumph, Team Iloilo reaffirmed its reputation as a powerhouse in youth athletics, continuing its proud tradition of producing elite runners for the national stage./PN
