Quezon City is top winner in NCR Palaro elims

MANILA, Philippines – Quezon City, sparked by its dominating performance in athletics and swimming, took home the overall titles in the elementary and secondary divisions of the recently concluded 2009 National Capital Region (NCR) Palaro Regional eliminations at the Rizal High School grounds in Pasig City. Aside from the two medal rich events, QC also won the elementary girls and boys badminton and football titles, and posted decent finishes in taekwondo, gymnastics and chess to become the runaway winner in the elementary division. They also had a runner-up finish in softball and placed third in elementary boys’ lawn and table tennis, and rhythmic gymnastics. Former overall champion Manila was forced to a tight battle for second place with Muntinlupa, Mandaluyong, Makati and Marikina. Manila finished third behind Muntinlupa, which won the titles in the secondary girls’ lawn tennis, baseball, gymnastics and football. Manila grabbed the secondary boys and girls’ lawn tennis and rhythmic gymnastics titles. Marikina, on the other hand, went home with the baseball and sepak takraw crowns while Parañaque topped the boxing event with Mandaluyong City coming in second. In the secondary level, it was a toss-up between Quezon City and Taguig-Pateros for the athletics title but the former emerged as champions despite the 14 gold medal haul by the later based on the point system used by the Department of Education (DepEd). Aside from athletics, Quezon City also won the secondary boys swimming, softball, boys and girls badminton and placed second in secondary boys’ football, boys and girls archery, baseball, sepak takraw and boys table tennis that made them the overall champions of the weeklong meet which aims to determine the NCR team members that will compete in the 2009 Palarong Pambansa (National Games) in Tacloban this April. Other teams which won titles in other events are Pasay City (arnis), Valenzuela (sepak takraw), and Manila (boys and girls archery, table tennis and boys’ lawn tennis). Manila also posted runner-up finishes in secondary boys swimming and athletics. – GMANews.TV