MANDAUE City – Ilonggo Kyle Angelo Tiron emerged as the most bemedalled athlete after capturing five arnis gold medals in the 2024 Palarong Pambansa held at the Mandaue City Sports Complex here.
Tiron, a standout of Cabatuan National Comprehensive High School in Iloilo Province, captured two individual gold medals in the secondary boys Individual Likha Anyo Single Weapon and full contact bantamweight events.
Kyle then teamed up with his relative Paul and Carl Wayne Reyes to claim gold medals in the Likha Anyo Double Weapon and Likha Anyo Espada Y Daga categories.
Kyle, who was named the secondary boys arnis MVP, secured his fifth Palaro gold medal by topping the secondary boys Team (Sync) Likha Anyo Single Weapon event with Paul and schoolmate Marc Alquin Canto.
Western Visayas also captured an arnis gold from the trio of Clemence Marie Alag, Mary Clarlyn Alviar, and Emerald Jane Legario in the secondary girls Team (Sync) Likha Anyo Espada Y Daga.
Nathan Balajadia of Graciano Lopez Jaena Elementary School in Iloilo City also made his presence felt in the week-long competition as he captured three silvers and a bronze medal.
Balajadia, who captured a gold and two silver medals in the 2023 Palarong Pambansa in Marikina City, nabbed an individual silver medal in the elementary boys Likha Anyo Espada Y Daga.
Balajadia, along with Melchor G Bataican III and John Archie Cagatan, won silver medals in the Team (Sync) Likha Anyo Espada Y Daga and Team (Sync) Likha Anyo Single Weapon and a bronze in Team (Sync) Likha Anyo Double Weapon.
Diofe Arbel Marie Fenis of Cabatuan Central Elementary School, for her part, won a silver in elementary girls Individual Likha Anyo Single Weapon and a bronze with Aiyanah Puga and Khizzia Valenzuela in Team (Sync) Likha Anyo Double Weapon.
The Iloilo arnisadors are handled by head coach Mike Banguiran and Ryan Robles as trainer./PN
