Zamba multisport: Mangrobang earns 3rd gold medal in Zambales

CANDELARIA, Zambales, March 21 — Kim Mangrobang permanently etched her name as the multi-titled star of the inaugural Zamba Multisports Festival that ended with a bang on Dawal Beach Resort last Sunday.

Already a winner of the duathlon and Potipot Island 2-Km Open Water Swim on Saturday, Mangrobang, only 19, handily snatched a third gold medal—the women’s triathlon in three hours, 17 minutes and four seconds. Her split times in 1.5-km swim, 50-km bike and 12-km run of 4:11-1:47:56-1:04:57 showed her billing as one of the country’s foremost athletes in the gruelling sport.

“Medyo pagod. Pero maganda ang performance ko dahil kundisyon ang katawan ko dahil all-year round ang training ko,” said Mangrobang after being crowned a third time in the event organized by Zambales Gov. Hermogenes “Jun” Ebdane.

Matt O’Halloran, the Canadian who is eyeing naturalization to become part of the national men’s triathlon team, captured his second crown in dominating fashion. He clocked a remarkable time of 2:44:18 (29:27-1:30:56-52:53) to follow-up on his convincing victory in the men’s 2-km open water swim that had the amazing Potipot Island as backdrop.

A revelation in the men’s triathlon event of the competition supervised by provincial administrator Jun Omar Ebdane and sponsored by Chris Sports was John Leerams Chicano, a local boy from nearby Sta. Cruz town. The 20-year-old Chicano clocked 2:58:18, beating for the silver Camarines Sur’s Benjamin Raja (3:01:35).

Jeff Valdez copped the 30-39 years age division gold medal with a time of 3:06:04. Philip Atento finished second with 3:08:10 while Rayzon Galdonez took third place with 3:14:02.

After the last scaffolding was disassembled at the close of competitions on Sunday, Ebdane stressed the Zamba Multisports Festival has achieved its objective of putting the province on the sports tourism community map.

“The festival proves that if we have the political will, we can accomplish much. This was the first time in Zambales that such a sportsfest was held, and we not only made a big leap forward towards our goal of carving a niche for Zambales in the sports tourism industry, but we also gave aspiring local athletes a boost, and certainly another venue for them to test their mettle and improve their skills in sports,” he said, referring to Chicano.

“Perhaps, we can come up with a scheme whereby the provincial government can subsidize the training of potential stars in sports. Right now, we’re already rehabilitating sports facilities at the Zambales National High School in Iba, including a track-and-field oval and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Perhaps, some kind of sports clinic and training program will follow once the facilities are ready,” the governor added.

National rider Tots Oledan won on opening-day Friday the men’s 120-km cycling race, and on Saturday, the Sunken Pleasure team from the University of the Philippines (UP) topped the elite division and Team Flying Pancakes of Manila the novice side of the Black Sands Ultimate Frisbee championships.

Reynaldo Borile Jr. (Boys Open), Milky Mae Tejares (Girls Open and Speed) and Hubert Kristian Guerrero (Speed Boys) topped the “Over the Top” wall-climbing competition co-organized by Grip Up also on Saturday. (PNA) DCT/LOR

Source: Coach Melvin

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