By Maria Romina Austria

Lora Micah Amoguis, girls’ 200m Individual Medley gold medalist in the 11th BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games in Puerto Princesa, Palawan (Media Pool)

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY – The Philippines bagged four gold medals right on the first day of the medal rounds in the 11th BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area) Friendship Games in this Palawan capital Monday.

Swimmers Philip Adrian Sahagun (boys’ 200m Individual Medley), June Pearl Dagano (girls’ 100m freestyle) and Lora Micah Amoguis (girls’ 200m Individual Medley); and athletics’ Bernard Ganancial (discus throw) put the Philippines on the medal table in the morning competitions, all held at Ramon V. Mitra Jr. Sports Complex.

Sahagun, 21, clocked 2 minutes and 13.52 seconds to beat Indonesia’s Hidayatullah Aril (2:13.83) and Filipino Rodolfo Paolo Apilado III (2:20.82).

He said he was not too hopeful of winning as he is coming off a grueling collegiate season.

“I didn’t expect to win, kasi (because) two weeks ago kakagaling ko lang ng (I came from the) UAAP and I didn’t have [enough] time to prepare for this kasi gusto ko rin po makapagpahinga (because I wanted to rest),” De La Salle University’s Sahagun said in an interview, adding he didn’t train for a week.

La Salle placed second behind archrival Ateneo de Manila in the overall race of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 87 men’s swimming.

Pero ang (But my) mindset is swim for the Philippines,” he said. “No’ng (In the) last lap, medyo nakaramdan po ako ng sakit ng katawan ko pero nakita ko po ‘yung kalaban ko na humahabol kaya i-push ko na… nandun na po ako sa una kaya sabi ko, ‘di ko na po ibibigay ‘tong (I felt body pain but I was aware that my foes were closing in so I gave it my all for the) gold.”

Philip Adrian Sahagun, boys’ 200m Individual Medley gold medalist in the 11th BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games in Puerto Princesa, Palawan (Media Pool)

Meanwhile, it was an all-Filipino show in the girls’ events with Amoguis (2:30.73), Maglia Jaye Dignadice (2:38.01) and Allen Joy Santos (2:48.45) in the 200m Individual Medley; and local pride Dagano (1:04.59), Mira Claire Catayas (1:07.83) and Gwen Stefanie Pansit (1:09.98) in the 100m freestyle.

The Philippine likewise dominated discus throw as Ganancial posted 33.95m, Jhonmark Sedoripa made 33.14m and Lunasco Alabado had 32.58m.

Malaysia’s Daniella Jimil claimed the shot put gold in 10.25m, with the Philippines placing 2-3 courtesy of Aliia Tricia Mae Badajos (9.53m) and Jerlyn Grace Crismundo (9.25m).

Archery and sepak takraw quadrant events’ finals are slated in the afternoon. (PNA)