TAGAYTAY City – The Philippines celebrated a breakthrough performance on home soil after rookie tandem Rhimel Daniel Cabides and Antonette Amante captured the gold medal, while another debuting Filipino pair settled for bronze in the youth mixed pairs event of the 10th Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships on Thursday.
The twin podium finish highlighted a memorable day for the host nation as both Philippine pairs impressed in their first-ever international competition at the Tagaytay CT Velodrome.
Cabides and Amante, both 14-year-old standouts from the Palarong Pambansa, dazzled the judges with a polished routine that earned 17.80 points, enough to edge Vietnam on execution and secure the championship in the tournament presented by the Philippine Sports Commission.
The country’s medal haul grew after Rhys Enoch Balmayor and John Mikaela Ladaran of General Santos City claimed the bronze medal with 17.150 points, completing an impressive international debut for the young Filipinos.
“Napatunayan namin maari kaming makapasabayan internationally,” said Amante, a triple Palarong Pambansa gold medalist who, like Cabides, is a Grade 8 student at Teodoro Alonzo High School.
“Maganda na mapakinggan yung national anthem ng Pilipinas,” added the petite athlete while her beaming teammate and classmate was beside her.
Ladaran, meanwhile, admitted the podium finish exceeded their expectations.
“This is all too surreal. We really did not expect it. It was only a dream,” said the 11-year-old gymnast.
National coach and former Philippine team member Carlo Joshua Tangonan praised the determination shown by both pairs after months of rigorous preparation.
“I am very proud of both pairs. Nagin mahirap din yung journey ng mga bata and their training so I am very happy with the result,” Tangonan said.
“We would like to thank the GAP for the oppotunity it gave our junior athletes to show their mettle against top caliber gymnasts from Asia,” added Tangonan, who won a bronze medal in the mixed pair event with Charmaine Dolar at the 32nd Cambodia Southeast Asian Games.
Competing first among six finalists, Cabides and Amante posted a benchmark score of 17.80, combining high marks in difficulty, execution, and artistry.
The Filipino pair then endured an anxious wait as the remaining finalists took the floor.
Vietnam’s Ann Thinh Tran and Ngoc Gia Nguyen matched the Filipinos’ total score of 17.80, but settled for silver after receiving a lower execution score of 7.450, compared to the Philippine duo’s 7.500, handing Cabides and Amante the gold medal.
Backed by the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., the championships are organized by the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines and sanctioned by the Asian Gymnastics Union./PN
